Valve drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268624-B2
Application number	US-201916699751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2019
Priority date	Dec 3, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A valve drive device comprising a valve body drive mechanism including a drive gear, a driven gear for turning the valve body, and a power transmission switching part provided with a protruded part of the drive gear and a turning restriction part turnably attached to the driven gear. The turning restriction part comprises a lever part urged with an urging force toward an outer side of the driven gear. The driven gear comprises a lever turning restriction part for restricting turning of the lever part and the lever part is structured to perform a contact operation with the protruded part and a separating operation separated from a contact position with the lever turning restriction part. The valve body drive mechanism further comprises a foreign matter entry restraining part which covers at least a part of a region formed between the lever part and the lever turning restriction part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve drive device comprising a valve body drive mechanism structured to drive a valve body;
wherein the valve body drive mechanism comprising:
a drive gear structured to be rotatably driven by a motor;
a driven gear structured to turn the valve body through rotation of the drive gear in a state that the driven gear is engaged with the drive gear; and
a power transmission switching part which is capable of switching between a power transmission state that the drive gear is engaged with the driven gear to transmit power of the motor to the driven gear and a power non-transmission state that an engaging state of the drive gear with the driven gear is released;

wherein the power transmission switching part comprises:
at least one protruded part which is formed in the drive gear and is protruded in a radial direction of the drive gear; and
a turning restriction part which is turnably attached to the driven gear and is engageable with the protruded part;

wherein the turning restriction part comprises:
a turning shaft which is inserted into the driven gear; and
a lever part which is extended from the turning shaft in a circumferential direction of the driven gear and is urged with an urging force toward an outer side in a radial direction of the driven gear;

wherein the driven gear comprises a lever turning restriction part structured to contact with the lever part to restrict turning of the turning restriction part to the outer side in the radial direction of the driven gear;
wherein the lever part is structured to perform a contact operation with the protruded part and a separating operation which is turned against the urging force and is separated from a contact position with the lever turning restriction part; and
wherein the valve body drive mechanism further comprising a foreign matter entry restraining part which covers at least a part of a region formed between the lever part and the lever turning restriction part.

2. The valve drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the lever part comprises the foreign matter entry restraining part.

3. The valve drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the foreign matter entry restraining part is formed in a shape so as to continuously cover the region at both of the contact position of the lever part with the lever turning restriction part and a separated position from the contact position of the lever part.

4. The valve drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the foreign matter entry restraining part is formed in a shape so as to be located on an inner side in the radial direction with respect to a position corresponding to the lever turning restriction part in a state that the lever part contacts with the lever turning restriction part.

5. The valve drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
a gap space is formed between the lever turning restriction part and the turning shaft in a state that the lever turning restriction part restricts turning of the turning restriction part.

6. The valve drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the lever part comprises:
a first contact part which contacts with the protruded part when the drive gear is turned to a first direction; and
a second contact part which contacts with the protruded part when the drive gear is turned to a second direction which is an opposite direction to the first direction,

when the protruded part is contacted with the first contact part, the lever part is pressed by the protruded part to turn the driven gear and thereby a tooth of the drive gear and a tooth of the driven gear are engaged with each other to set in the power transmission state, and
when the protruded part is contacted with the second contact part, the lever part is turned to an inner side in the radial direction against the urging force and thereby a tooth of the drive gear and a tooth of the driven gear are not engaged with each other and the drive gear idles to set in the power non-transmission state.

7. The valve drive device according to claim 6 , wherein
the second contact part of the lever part is formed to be a curved surface which is located on an outer peripheral side in the radial direction of the driven gear and is extended along a circumferential direction of the driven gear.

8. The valve drive device according to claim 6 , wherein
when the protruded part is contacted with the second contact part and the lever part is turned to the inner side in the radial direction against the urging force, the driven gear comprises a co-turning prevention part which restricts that, when the second contact part is pushed by the protruded part to a turning direction of the protruded part, the driven gear is turned to a direction corresponding to a turning direction of the drive gear.

9. The valve drive device according to claim 6 , wherein
in a case that a locus of a circle formed by a tip end in the radial direction of the protruded part when the drive gear is turned is defined as a first circle locus, and a locus of a circle formed by a tip end of the first contact part in the radial direction of the driven gear when the protruded part is turned to the first direction and is contacted with the first contact part is defined as a second circle locus, the second contact part is formed in a shape which comprises an interference avoiding part on a side of the first contact part in an interference region surrounded by a first circle formed by the first circle locus and a second circle formed by the second circle locus.

10. The valve drive device according to claim 9 , wherein
the interference avoiding part is structured of a recessed part between a contact position of the lever part with the lever turning restriction part and the first contact part.

11. The valve drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the driven gear comprises a protruded shape part which is protruded to an outer side in the radial direction of the driven gear and is protruded from a face on one side in an axial direction of the driven gear, and
an inner side of the protruded shape part in the radial direction of the driven gear is formed with the lever turning restriction part.

12. The valve drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the turning restriction part comprises a foot part provided on an opposite side to the lever part of the turning shaft in an axial direction of the turning shaft, and
the foot part restricts an inclination of the turning shaft by the urging force which urges the lever part.

13. The valve drive device according to claim 12 , wherein
the foot part is extended to an opposite direction to a direction that the lever part is urged.

14. The valve drive device according to claim 12 , wherein
the foot part is extended from the turning shaft toward an inner side in the radial direction of the driven gear.

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Yokoe Satoru

Classifications

• F25B2341/06

  Details of flow restrictors or expansion valves · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• F16K31/53

  with toothed gearing · CPC title

• F16K31/043 Primary

  characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means · CPC title