Valve mechanism for high pressure tank and valve device for high pressure tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655787-B2
Application number	US-201715441237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A valve mechanism includes a first plunger, a second plunger, a seal member, and a valve element. The first plunger has a thread engaging with a threaded portion provided on an inner wall of the flow passage. The first plunger is movable along the axis by rotating around the axis. The second plunger has a first end and a second end. The first end engages with the first plunger such that the first plunger is relatively rotatable with respect to the second plunger. The second plunger is movable along the axis by rotating the first plunger. The seal member is provided to surround the second plunger. The valve element has a back end engaging with the second end such that the valve element is movable along the axis according to movement of the second plunger so as to be seated on and separated from a valve seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve mechanism for a high pressure tank, which is accommodated in a valve accommodating hole communicating with a flow passage through which prescribed fluid flows, comprising:
a first plunger configured to be engaged with a threaded portion formed on at least a part of an inner wall of the valve mechanism accommodating hole and to be moved by rotation in the valve mechanism accommodating hole;
a second plunger configured to be engaged and coupled at one end thereof with the first plunger in a relatively rotatable manner;
a seal member being in contact with a periphery of the second plunger; and
a valve element configured to be engaged with the other end of the second plunger and to be seated on and separated from a valve seat which is formed in the flow passage,
wherein the first plunger includes a columnar barrel portion and a flange portion, a flange diameter of the flange portion being larger than a barrel diameter of the columnar barrel portion,
wherein the second plunger includes a first notch section and a second notch section that are provided at the one end of the second plunger, the first notch section and the second notch section each having an opening on a lateral side of the second plunger, the columnar barrel portion fitting into the first notch section, the flange portion fitting into the second notch section,
wherein the first notch section has a width smaller than the flange diameter,
wherein the valve element includes a neck portion and a head portion, a head diameter of the head portion being larger than a neck diameter of the neck portion,
wherein the second plunger includes a third notch section and a fourth notch section that are provided at the other end of the second plunger, the third notch section and the fourth notch section each having an opening on a lateral side of the second plunger, the neck portion fitting into the third notch section, the head portion fitting into the fourth notch section, and
wherein the third notch section has a width smaller than the head diameter.

2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second plunger and the valve element are provided in a relatively movable relation, and an elastic body which applies elastic force in such a direction as to separate the second plunger and the valve element is provided between the second plunger and the valve element.

3. A valve device for a high pressure tank comprising:
the valve mechanism according to claim 1 ;
a body being formed with the valve mechanism accommodating hole;
the flow passage through which the fluid flows being formed in the interior of the body; and
the valve seat being formed in the flow passage so as to carry out communication and shut off of the flow passage in cooperation with the valve element.

4. The valve device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the flow passage includes a first flow passage configured to communicate with an internal space of the high pressure tank and a second flow passage configured to communicate with the exterior of the high pressure tank, wherein the valve seat is provided in the boundary between the first flow passage and the second flow passage, and wherein the flow passage is configured such that during an airtight inspection of a piping system connected to the second flow passage, the pressure of fluid within the second passage is higher than the pressure of fluid within the first flow passage.

5. The valve mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the first plunger is directly connected to the second plunger.

6. A valve mechanism comprising:
a first plunger provided in a flow passage and having a thread around an axis of the first plunger, the thread engaging with a threaded portion provided on an inner wall of the flow passage, the first plunger being movable along the axis by rotating around the axis;
a second plunger provided in the flow passage and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end along the axis, the first end engaging and coupling with the first plunger such that the first plunger is relatively rotatable with respect to the second plunger and the second plunger is movable along the axis by rotating the first plunger;
a seal member provided to surround the second plunger around the axis so as to contact a circumferential outer surface of the second plunger; and
a valve element provided in the flow passage and having a forward end and a back end opposite to the forward end along the axis, the back end engaging with the second end of the second plunger such that the valve element is movable along the axis according to movement of the second plunger so as to be seated on and separated from a valve seat which is provided in the flow passage,
wherein the first plunger includes a columnar barrel portion and a flange portion, a flange diameter of the flange portion being larger than a barrel diameter of the columnar barrel portion,
wherein the second plunger includes a first notch section and a second notch section that are provided at the first end of the second plunger, the first notch section and the second notch section each having an opening on a lateral side of the second plunger, the columnar barrel portion fitting into the first notch section, the flange portion fitting into the second notch section,
wherein the first notch section has a width smaller than the flange diameter,
wherein the valve element includes a neck portion and a head portion, a head diameter of the head portion being larger than a neck diameter of the neck portion,
wherein the second plunger includes a third notch section and a fourth notch section that are provided at the second end of the second plunger, the third notch section and the fourth notch section each having an opening on a lateral side of the second plunger, the neck portion fitting into the third notch section, the head portion fitting into the fourth notch section, and
wherein the third notch section has a width smaller than the head diameter.

7. The valve mechanism according to claim 5 ,
wherein the second plunger and the valve element are provided in a relatively movable relation, and an elastic body which applies elastic force in such a direction as to separate the second plunger and the valve element is provided between the second plunger and the valve element.

8. A valve device for a high pressure tank comprising:
the valve mechanism according to claim 5 ;
a body being formed with the flow passage;
the flow passage through which the fluid flows being formed in the interior of the body; and
the valve seat being formed in the flow passage so as to carry out communication and shut off of the flow passage in cooperation with the valve element.

9. The valve device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the flow passage includes a first flow passage configured to communicate with an internal space of the high pressure tank and a second flow passage configured to communicate with the exterior of the high pressure tank, wherein the valve seat is provided in the boundary between the first flow passage and the second flow passage, and wherein the flow passage is configured such that during an airtight inspection of a piping system connected to the second flow passage, pressure of fluid within the second passage is higher than pressure of fluid within the first flow passage.

10. The valve mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the flow passage is connected to a high pressure tank.

11. The valve mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the threaded portion is provided on at least a part of the inner wall of the flow passage.

12. The valve mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein the first plunger is dire

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ozaki Hiroyasu
• Takaku Koichi
• Kato Koichi

Classifications

• F17C2205/0335

  Check-valves or non-return valves · CPC title

• F17C2223/036

  Very high pressure (>80 bar) · CPC title

• F17C13/04 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of valves (valves per se F16K {; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00}) · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F17C2270/0178

  Cars · CPC title