Flow control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11920698-B2
Application number	US-202217657368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2021
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A flow control valve adjusts an opening degree of a second channel by moving a needle valve in a first axis direction in accordance with a rotating operation amount of a knob provided at the first body, and includes a scale body, and a scale reading part that indicates the scale mark corresponding to the rotating operation amount of the knob, and a clutch mechanism that changes the scale mark of the scale body when the knob is rotated. The clutch mechanism includes an engaging portion, an engaged portion, and a clutch drive mechanism, and the scale reading part and the scale body rotate integrally when the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged. The clutch drive mechanism releases engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion when the knob is rotated and, after the scale mark is changed, re-engages the engaging portion with the engaged portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow control valve comprising:
a body extending in an axial direction;
a channel formed in the body;
a knob disposed on one side of the body in the axial direction and supported so as to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the body; and
a needle valve that is disposed coaxially with the knob in the body and that adjusts an opening degree of the channel by moving in the axial direction in accordance with a rotating operation amount of the knob, wherein
the flow control valve is capable of controlling a flow rate of fluid flowing through the channel in accordance with the rotating operation amount of the knob,
the flow control valve further comprising:
a scale body supported so as to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the knob and having scale marks that indicate rotating operation amounts of the knob;
a scale reading part that rotates constantly integrally with the knob around the axis and that indicates the scale mark corresponding to the rotating operation amount of the knob;
a shaft portion that is disposed on an other side of the scale body in the axial direction and that rotates constantly integrally with the knob around the axis while being supported so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the knob; and
a clutch mechanism that switches the scale mark of the scale body, indicated by the scale reading part, each time the knob is rotated by a predetermined angle by transmitting rotation of the knob to the scale body or interrupting the transmission, wherein
the clutch mechanism includes
an engaging portion and an engaged portion, one of which is provided on the shaft portion and the other one of which is provided on the scale body, and that rotate the scale reading part and the scale body integrally around the axis by transmitting rotation of the knob to the scale body through engagement with each other, and
a clutch drive mechanism that permits the scale reading part to rotate around the axis with respect to the scale body through rotation of the knob by moving the shaft portion to the other side in the axial direction each time the knob is rotated by a predetermined angle to release engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion and that, after the scale mark of the scale body, indicated by the scale reading part, is changed through the rotation of the scale reading part with respect to the scale body, re-engages the engaging portion with the engaged portion.

2. The flow control valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the clutch drive mechanism includes
a cam surface provided so as to be fixed to the body and extending annularly around the axis, and
a cam copying projection that is provided on the shaft portion and disposed opposite the cam surface and that rotates around the axis to slide on the cam surface with rotation of the knob,

the cam surface has
a cam hole extending through in the axial direction, and
a cam flat part extending in a planar shape from one-side end of the cam hole in the axial direction so as to face one side in the axial direction, and

the clutch drive mechanism releases engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion by the cam copying projection moving into and engaging with the cam hole each time the knob is rotated by a predetermined angle, and permits rotation of the scale reading part around the axis with respect to the scale body through rotation of the knob.

3. The flow control valve according to claim 2 , wherein
the clutch drive mechanism includes a spring that constantly urges the shaft portion toward the other side in the axial direction, the shaft portion moves to the other side in the axial direction with movement of the cam copying projection into the cam hole under urging of the spring, and, after the scale mark of the scale body, indicated by the scale reading part, is changed, the engaged portion and the engaging portion are re-engaged by the cam copying projection moving to one side in the axial direction against the urging of the spring to contact the cam flat part.

4. The flow control valve according to claim 3 , wherein
the scale body includes a plurality of resistance generating projections provided around the axis at intervals,
the flow control valve comprises a locking protrusion that slidably contacts the plurality of resistance generating projections,
the locking protrusion is disposed on any one side in the axial direction with respect to the plurality of resistance generating projections and provided so as to be fixed to the body, and
in a state where engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is released, co-rotation of the scale body with rotation of the knob is blocked by resistance generated when the locking protrusion contacts any one of the plurality of resistance generating projections.

5. The flow control valve according to claim 4 , wherein
the locking protrusion has a first contact part that protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction and that slidably contacts the resistance generating projection, and
the plurality of resistance generating projections extends radially outward in a radial direction at equal intervals around the axis.

6. The flow control valve according to claim 3 , wherein
the flow control valve has a contact surface that is provided so as to be fixed to the body and that faces the other side in the axial direction,
the shaft portion has a second contact part that is disposed opposite the contact surface and that is able to contact the contact surface, and
the second contact part, when the cam copying portion is removed from the cam hole through rotating operation of the knob in a state where the cam copying portion is engaged with the cam hole, contacts the contact surface to block movement of the shaft portion to one side in the axial direction.

7. The flow control valve according to claim 2 , wherein
the scale body includes a plurality of resistance generating projections provided around the axis at intervals,
the flow control valve comprises a locking protrusion that slidably contacts the plurality of resistance generating projections,
the locking protrusion is disposed on any one side in the axial direction with respect to the plurality of resistance generating projections and provided so as to be fixed to the body, and
in a state where engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion is released, co-rotation of the scale body with rotation of the knob is blocked by resistance generated when the locking protrusion contacts any one of the plurality of resistance generating projections.

8. The flow control valve according to claim 7 , wherein
the locking protrusion has a first contact part that protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction and that slidably contacts the resistance generating projection, and
the plurality of resistance generating projections extends radially outward in a radial direction at equal intervals around the axis.

9. The flow control valve according to claim 2 , wherein
the flow control valve has a contact surface that is provided so as to be fixed to the body and that faces the other side in the axial direction,
the shaft portion has a second contact part that is disposed opposite the contact surface and that is able to contact the contact surface, and
the second contact part, when the cam copying portion is removed from the cam hole through rotating operation of the knob in a state where the cam copying portion is engaged with the cam hole, contacts the contact surface to block movement of the shaft portion to one side in the axial direction.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Shishido Kenji

Classifications

• F16K37/0016 Primary

  having a graduated scale · CPC title

• F16K31/52408

  comprising a lift valve · CPC title

• F16K31/60

  Handles {(form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04)} · CPC title

• F16K35/027

  the locking mechanism being actuated by pushing or pulling the valve actuator, the valve actuator being rotated subsequently to bring the valve closure element in the desired position · CPC title

• F16K1/38 Primary

  of conical shape · CPC title