Double solenoid valve with detent mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523442-B2
Application number	US-201414337359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A detent mechanism that increases a holding force for a valve member having two switch positions includes a ring shaped housing groove and an annular elevated portion. A ring shaped detent member made of a material having rubber elasticity is housed in the housing groove. The housing groove includes right and left groove side walls which extend in parallel to each other, and a groove bottom wall. The detent member includes right and left side walls which face the groove side walls of the housing groove and a protruding portion which extends from the housing groove. A locking section which elastically locks the protruding portion of the detent member in the two switch positions is formed at both axial ends of the elevated portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A double solenoid valve with a detent mechanism, the double solenoid valve including a valve hole provided in a valve body having a plurality of ports; and a valve member having two switch positions and housed in the valve hole in a manner movable in an axis direction of the valve hole, the valve member being configured to be driven by two pilot electromagnetic valves, wherein
the double solenoid valve comprises the detent mechanism for increasing a holding force when the valve member is in the two switch positions,
the detent mechanism includes a ring shaped housing groove which is formed on one of an inner periphery of the valve hole and an outer periphery of the valve member and an annular elevated portion which is formed on the other of the inner periphery of the valve hole and the outer periphery of the valve member, and a ring shaped detent member housed in the housing groove,
the housing groove includes right and left groove side walls which extend in parallel to each other, and a groove bottom wall which connects inner bottoms of the groove side walls,
the detent member is made of a material having rubber elasticity and includes right and left side walls which extend in a radius direction of the detent member and face the groove side walls of the housing groove, and a protruding portion which protrudes from the housing groove, and
the elevated portion includes shoulders on both ends in the axis direction and each shoulder forms a locking section which elastically locks the protruding portion of the detent member in the two switch positions.

2. The double solenoid valve according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion of the detent member has a distal end formed in an arc shape, and a radius of curvature of the arc is larger than one-half of a thickness of the detent member in the axis direction.

3. The double solenoid valve according to claim 1 , wherein a dimension of a cross section of the detent member in the radius direction taken at a position of the protruding portion is larger than a thickness of the detent member in the axis direction.

4. The double solenoid valve according to claim 1 , wherein a gap is formed between the housing groove and the detent member so as to absorb deformation of the detent member when the detent member rides on the elevated portion.

5. The double solenoid valve according to claim 1 , wherein the housing groove is formed on the inner periphery of the valve hole and the elevated portion is formed on the outer periphery of the valve member.

6. The double solenoid valve according to claim 5 , wherein a gap is formed between the groove bottom wall of the housing groove and an outer peripheral wall of the detent member so that the detent member is extensible in the radius direction when the protruding portion of the detent member rides on the elevated portion and the holding force for the valve member is increased by an extension force.

7. The double solenoid valve according to claim 5 , wherein the detent member includes a plurality of the protruding portions at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction, and a holding force for the valve member by the detent member is adjustable depending on a sum of a length of the protruding portions in the circumferential direction and a strength of a contact pressure of the protruding portions.

8. The double solenoid valve according to claim 5 , wherein an entirety of an outer peripheral wall of the detent member is in contact with the groove bottom wall of the housing groove and the detent member includes the protruding portion disposed on an entirety of an inner periphery, a plurality of ribs which extends in the radius direction is formed on one of the side walls of the detent member so as to be in contact with the groove side wall of the housing groove, and a space formed by adjacent ribs between the one side wall of the detent member and the groove side wall of the housing groove serves as a space that absorbs an increase in thickness of the detent member due to compression of the detent member in the radius direction when the protruding portion of the detent member rides on the elevated portion.

9. The double solenoid valve according to claim 5 , wherein an adapter plate which includes an extension portion of the valve hole is connected to one end of the valve body, and the housing groove is formed at a contact position of the adapter plate and the valve body by cutting a portion of at least one of contact surfaces of the adapter plate and the valve body.

10. The double solenoid valve according to claim 1 , wherein the housing groove is formed on the outer periphery of the valve member and the elevated portion is formed on the inner periphery of the valve hole.

11. The double solenoid valve according to claim 10 , wherein the detent member includes a plurality of the protruding portions at a plurality of positions in a circumferential direction, and a holding force for the valve member by the detent member is adjustable depending on a sum of a length of the protruding portions in the circumferential direction and a strength of a contact pressure of the protruding portions.

12. The double solenoid valve according to claim 10 , wherein an entirety of an inner periphery of the detent member is in contact with the groove bottom wall of the housing groove and the detent member includes the protruding portion disposed on an entirety of an outer periphery, a plurality of ribs which extends in the radius direction is formed on one of the side walls of the detent member so as to be in contact with the groove side wall of the housing groove, and a space formed by adjacent ribs between the one side wall of the detent member and the groove side wall of the housing groove serves as a space that absorbs an increase in thickness of the detent member due to compression of the detent member in the radius direction when the protruding portion of the detent member rides on the elevated portion.

13. The double solenoid valve according to claim 10 , wherein an adapter plate which includes an extension portion of the valve hole is connected to one end of the valve body, and the elevated portion is formed on the extension portion of the adapter plate.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Hayashi Bunya
• Matsumura Kenichi

Classifications

• F16K11/0704

  comprising locking elements · CPC title

• F16K31/426 Primary

  the actuated valves being cylindrical sliding valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/86614

  Electric · CPC title

• F16K11/065 Primary

  with linearly sliding closure members · CPC title