Forward check valve and fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9593780-B2
Application number	US-201314049252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2013
Priority date	Apr 12, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A forward check valve and a fuel cell system are provided which include a valve portion including a valve body, a supporting portion, a hole, and a fixation portion. The valve body contacts a valve seat when the valve portion is accommodated in an opening. The supporting portion supports the valve body so that the valve body is movable in directions in which the valve body moves towards and away from the valve seat. The fixation portion contacts an inner peripheral surface defining the opening of a valve housing to fix the supporting portion when the valve portion is accommodated in the opening. The fixation portion includes protruding portions that protrude from a mount surface of the valve housing when the valve portion is accommodated in the opening. By fitting the valve portion to the opening, the valve portion is accommodated in the opening of the valve housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A forward check valve comprising:
a valve housing;
a diaphragm defining a valve chamber in the valve housing, the diaphragm being displaced by pressure of a fluid in the valve chamber; and
a valve portion arranged to block or allow the fluid to flow into the valve chamber due to displacement of the diaphragm; wherein
the valve housing includes an inflow hole, an outflow hole, an opening, and a valve seat arranged such that the fluid flows into the valve chamber via the inflow hole, the outflow hole is connected to a pump and the fluid flows out from the valve chamber via the outflow hole by suction pressure of the fluid generated by the pump, the opening is connected to the inflow hole and accommodating the valve portion as a result of fitting the valve portion to the opening, and the valve seat is positioned around a periphery of the inflow hole;
the valve portion includes a valve body, a supporting portion, and an annular fixation portion arranged such that the valve body contacts the valve seat when the valve portion is accommodated in the opening, the supporting portion supports the valve body so that the valve body is movable in directions in which the valve body moves towards and away from the valve seat, and the annular fixation portion contacts a peripheral surface defining the opening of the valve housing to fix the supporting portion when the valve portion is accommodated in the opening; and
the fixation portion includes a plurality of protruding portions that protrude from an opening-side surface of the valve housing when the valve portion is accommodated in the opening.

2. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protruding portions are arranged on the fixation portion so as to satisfy a relationship 1/20<C·θ/360°≦½, where one circuit around the annular fixation portion is 360°, a central angle of the protruding portions, which is an angle defined by connecting radial lines that are provided at corresponding ends of the protruding portions to a center of the fixation portion, is θ, and a number of protruding portions is C.

3. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding portions are made of rubber.

4. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , further comprising a cap arranged so that the diaphragm is sandwiched between the valve housing and the cap.

5. The forward check valve according to claim 4 , wherein the valve housing includes fixation holes arranged to fix the cap and the valve to a fuel cell system housing.

6. The forward check valve according to claim 4 , wherein the cap includes a hole in a central portion thereof that is open to outside air.

7. The forward check valve according to claim 4 , wherein a circular or substantially circular pressure receiving plate is connected to the diaphragm.

8. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing has a square or substantially square plate shape.

9. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing includes a placement portion on which a peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm is disposed.

10. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing includes a protrusion with which the diaphragm contacts when the valve portions allow the fluid to flow into the valve chamber.

11. The forward check valve according to claim 10 , wherein the valve housing includes a flow path which allows the fluid to flow from an inner side to an outer side of the protrusion.

12. The forward check valve according to claim 10 , wherein the protrusion is provided at a periphery of the inflow hole.

13. The forward check valve according to claim 10 , wherein the protrusion is made of polyphenylene sulfide resin and an outer peripheral portion of the valve housing is made of a metal.

14. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve housing is made of polyphenylene sulfide resin and a metal.

15. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm includes a pusher at a central portion thereof, the pusher being arranged to push on the valve body.

16. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm includes a peripheral portion and a central portion, the peripheral portion being thicker than the central portion.

17. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is made of rubber.

18. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is made of one of ethylene propylene rubber and silicone rubber.

19. The forward check valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve portion has a circular or substantially circular shape.

20. A fuel cell system comprising:
the forward check valve according to claim 1 ;
a fuel storage section that is connected to the inflow hole of the forward check valve; and
a pump that is connected to the outflow hole of the forward check valve.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Sasaki Masahiro
• Higashiyama Yuzo

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/523

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10T137/7793

  With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator] · CPC title

• H01M8/04186

  of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• F16K15/144

  the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery · CPC title