Flow rate control device and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508743-B2
Application number	US-201515514896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

The flow rate controlling device according to the present invention comprises: a base that has an opening portion a ring member that is provided encompassing the opening portion and that can rotate around the opening portion a motor for rotating the ring member, and a plurality of blade members that are supported on the base to the outside of the opening portion in the radial direction, and that can rotate around rotary shafts that are parallel to the axis of the opening portion, wherein: groove portions are formed in the ring member; protruding portions that can slide within the groove portions are formed on the blade members; and the motor rotates the ring member to slide the protruding portions within the groove portions to rotate the plurality of blade members to open and close the opening portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow rate controlling device, provided in a pipe, controlling a flow rate of a fluid that flows through said pipe, comprising:
a base, comprising an opening through which the fluid can flow;
a ring member, provided encompassing the opening, when viewed from a direction of flow of the fluid, and able to rotate around the opening;
a motor rotating the ring member;
a plurality of blade members, supported on the base and extending to the outside of the opening, in the radial direction, and able to rotate around rotary shafts that are parallel to an axis of the opening;
grooves are formed in at least one of the ring member or the blade members;
protrusions able to slide within the grooves are formed in at least one of the other of the ring member and the blade members;
a position detection system configured to detect respective positions of the individual blade members, the position detection system including:
a position detector, provided on one of the blade members, having a light-blocking portion that blocks light and a light-passing portion that passes light; and
a sensor detecting the light-blocking portion and the light-passing portion; and

a position detection sensor detecting a position of the ring member,
wherein the motor rotates the ring member to cause the protrusions to slide within the grooves to cause the plurality of blade members to rotate to open and close the opening,
wherein the position detection system comprises a positioning hole formed on a base side of the position detection system and an inserting hole for a screw for securing the position detection system, and wherein the positioning hole and the inserting hole adjust a position that is detected in the fully closed state.

2. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of blade members are positioned to the outside of the opening in the radial direction.

3. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
a rib that forms a cylindrical shape is provided protruding from the base on the upstream side of the fluid, from around the opening;
the ring member is provided encompassing the rib; and
in the fully opened state, a portion of each of the plurality of blade members is positioned at a location overlapping the rib.

4. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
in the fully closed state, one of the blade members overlaps another of the blade members.

5. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
two thin-wall portions are formed in the blade member, where, in the fully closed state, thin-wall portions of two adjacent blade members overlap each other.

6. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 5 , wherein:
an elastic member that contacts the thin-wall portion of a tip end of the blade member when in the fully closed state is provided on the thin-wall portion of the blade member.

7. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
in the fully closed state, at least a portion between one blade member and another blade member is sealed by an elastic member.

8. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
a portion in the protrusions that contacts with the grooves exhibits a spherical shape.

9. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
a portion in the protrusions that contacts with the grooves exhibits a shape that has a curvature.

10. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the position detection system detects a fully opened state, a fully closed state, and an intermediate state between the fully opened state in the fully closed state, of the blade member; and
the position detection sensor detects a position of the ring member when the blade members are in a fully opened state, and a position of the ring member when the blade members are in a fully closed state.

11. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , comprising:
an elastic member, provided on the blade member, deforming elastically when the blade members are fully closed, blocking a space between the blade members, wherein:
the elastic member has a shape for engaging with the blade member.

12. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 11 , further comprising at least one retaining member covering a length-direction end portion of the elastic member.

13. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of blade members are provided overlapping in a plurality of layers.

14. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 13 , comprising:
deformable seals sealing a gap between the blade members, through elastic deformation through the full closure when the plurality of blade members are fully closed.

15. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 13 , comprising:
movable seals sealing between overlapping blade members sealing a space between overlapping adjacent blade members when the plurality of blade members are fully closed and moving further to the outside than the position when fully closed when the plurality of blade members are not fully closed.

16. The flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the sensor of the position detection system is configured to detect a rotation operation of the blade member.

17. A vehicle comprising a flow rate controlling device as set forth in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nidec Copal Corp

Inventors

• Wakayama Tomihiro
• Shinozaki Tomonori
• Watabe Kenichi

Classifications

• F16K3/029

  with two or more gates · CPC title

• F16K3/03 Primary

  with a closure member in the form of an iris-diaphragm · CPC title

• F02D9/14

  the members being slidable transversely of conduit · CPC title

• F02D9/02

  concerning induction conduits (throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08) · CPC title

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title