Control valve filter and control valve insertion structure

Abstract

A first engagement unit and a second engagement unit are formed to be engaged with each other at a divided portion formed in a substantially ring-shaped frame of a control valve filter. The first engagement unit includes a first inclination surface and a recessed portion. The second engagement unit includes a second inclination surface capable of coming into close contact with the first inclination surface and a projection portion engaged with the recessed portion. The recessed portion and the projection portion are engaged from the diameter direction of the frame, and the first inclination surface and the second inclination surface are in close contact with each other, whereby the first engagement unit and the second engagement unit are engaged with each there, and therefore, the recessed portion and the projection portion can be prevented from being deformed or damaged.

Claims

1. A control valve filter that is attached to a peripheral groove formed on an external peripheral surface of a control valve and that is configured to filter a fluid flowing into or out of a port unit that is opened through the peripheral groove, the control valve filter comprising: a substantially ring-shaped frame; and a filter member provided on the frame, wherein the frame includes a divided portion formed at a peripheral portion of the frame, the divided portion includes a first engagement unit and a second engagement unit configured to engage with the first engagement unit, the first engagement unit has a recessed portion, the second engagement unit has a projection portion configured to engage with the recessed portion, a width of an opening portion of the recessed portion is narrower than a width at a deeper side of the recessed portion, when the first engagement unit is engaged with the second engagement unit, the projection portion is engaged with the recessed portion in a diameter direction of the frame, and the projection portion includes an inclined surface that extends to an end of the projection portion and inclines to an inner side in the diameter direction of the frame.

2. The control valve filter according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement unit has a first inclination surface that is inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the frame, the second engagement unit has a second inclination surface configured to be in close contact with the first inclination surface, and when the projection portion is engaged with the recessed portion from the diameter direction of the frame, the first inclination surface and the second inclination surface contact with each other.

3. The control valve filter according to claim 2, wherein the first engagement unit has a first contact surface that is parallel with the thickness direction of the frame, the second engagement unit has a second contact surface that is parallel with the thickness direction of the frame, and when the first inclination surface and the second inclination surface are in close contact with each other, the first contact surface and the second contact surface contact each other.

4. A control valve insertion structure in which a control valve having the control valve filter according to claim 3 is inserted into an attachment hole formed in a device, wherein a thickness of an engagement unit obtained by engaging the first engagement unit and the second engagement unit of the control valve filter is greater than a gap between an external peripheral surface of the frame and the attachment hole.

5. A control valve insertion structure in which a control valve having the control valve filter according to claim 2 is inserted into an attachment hole formed in a device, wherein a thickness of an engagement unit obtained by engaging the first engagement unit and the second engagement unit of the control valve filter is greater than a gap between an external peripheral surface of the frame and the attachment hole.

6. A control valve insertion structure in which a control valve having the control valve filter according to claim 1 is inserted into an attachment hole formed in a device, wherein a thickness of an engagement unit obtained by engaging the first engagement unit and the second engagement unit of the control valve filter is greater than a gap between an external peripheral surface of the frame and the attachment hole.

7. A control valve filter comprising: a substantially ring-shaped frame; and a filter member provided on the frame, wherein the frame includes a divided portion formed at a peripheral portion of the frame, the divided portion includes a first engagement unit and a second engagement unit configured to engage with the first engagement unit, the first engagement unit includes a recess, the second engagement unit has a projection portion configured to engage with the recess, a width of an opening of the recess is narrower than a width at a deeper side of the recess, when the first engagement unit is engaged with the second engagement unit, the projection portion is engaged with the recess in a direction from an outside of the frame toward an inside of the frame, and the projection portion includes an inclined surface that extends to an end of the projection portion and inclines to an inner side in a diameter direction of the frame.

8. The control valve filter according to claim 7, wherein the recess is keyhole shaped.

9. The control valve filter according to claim 7, wherein the frame includes a plurality of ring members that are connected to each other with a plurality of connection members.

10. The control valve filter according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the connection members includes a projection that projects from a back surface of the at least one of the connection member toward the inside of the frame.

11. A control valve comprising: a peripheral groove formed on an external peripheral surface of a main body of the control valve; and the control valve filter according to claim 7, wherein the divided portion of the control valve filter is attached to the peripheral groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) These and/or other aspects and advantages will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

(2) FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) illustrate an example of a control valve to which a control valve filter is attached, and FIG. 1(a) is a side view, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross sectional view;

(3) FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) illustrate an example of a control valve filter, and FIG. 2(a) is a side view, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view;

(4) FIGS. 3(a) through 3(d) illustrate an example of a control valve filter, and FIG. 3(a) is a side view illustrating a state when the engagement unit is detached, FIG. 3(b) is a front view thereof, FIG. 3(c) is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3(d) is a cross sectional view thereof taken along line A-A of FIG. 3(b);

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a control valve filter;

(6) FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating an example of a control valve insertion structure;

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(7) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to drawings.

(8) FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) illustrate a control valve to which a control valve filter is attached. In the inside of a control valve 1, a spool valve 2 is accommodated slidably in the axial direction. Multiple peripheral grooves 3 are formed on the external peripheral surface of the main body of the control valve 1 with a predetermined interval in the axial direction, and a port unit 4 is formed to be open and to penetrate into the inside of each peripheral groove 3. The spool valve 2 operates to move back and forth in the control valve 1, so that each port unit 4 is selectively caused to be in communication.

(9) The control valve 1 is configured to switch the flow path of the fluid, and for example, the control valve 1 is interposed in a hydraulic circuit driving a variable valve timing mechanism of an engine. More specifically, when the spool valve accommodated in the inside of the main body of the control valve 1 moves in the axial direction, for example, the first port unit 4 is selectively caused to be in communication with port units 4, 4 provided at both sides thereof, so that the hydraulic path is switched to change the relative position between a cam sprocket rotating in synchronization with the crank shaft and a cam shaft provided in connection with this cam sprocket. When the relative position between the cam sprocket and the cam shaft is changed, the valve timing of the intake valve or the exhaust valve operated to be open or closed by the cam shaft can be changed in accordance with the operation state.

(10) A control valve filter 10 is attached to the peripheral groove 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, this control valve filter 10 includes a frame 11 and a filter member 12 provided on this frame 11, and the control valve filter 10 has a divided portion 15 formed at a portion of the frame 11 in the peripheral direction.

(11) FIG. 4 shows only the frame 11, and the filter member 12 is omitted in FIG. 4.

(12) The frame 11 is integrally formed in a substantially annular ring shape with resin, and has some degree of elasticity. The frame 11 has such a structure that two ring members 11a, 11a arranged in parallel with each other and away from each other are connected by multiple connection members 11b, and the connection members 11b are arranged with a predetermined interval in the peripheral direction of the ring member 11a.

(13) Further, projection portions 11c, 11c, which function as a stopper for stopping rotation in the peripheral direction when the control valve filter 10 is attached to the peripheral groove 3, are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 11. The projection portions 11c, 11c are formed on the back surface of two of the three connection members 11b, i.e., the two connection members 11b, 11b facing each other in the diameter direction of the frame 11, in such a manner as to extend in the axial direction of the frame 11.

(14) The filter member 12 is made of, for example, metal mesh. The filter member 12 may be made integrally with the frame 11, or may be adhered to the frame 11 with an adhesive agent and the like. The filter member 12 is provided in a substantially rectangular-shaped space 11d which is bent in an arc shape and which is enclosed by the connection member 11b, the ring members 11a, 11a, the divided portion 15, and the like.

(15) As shown in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), 3(a), and 3(d), a first engagement unit 16 is formed at one end of the divided portion 15 of the frame 11, and a second engagement unit 17 is formed at the other end of the divided portion 15. The first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit 17 are engaged with each other, so that the engagement unit 18 is constituted by the first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit 17.

(16) The first engagement unit 16 includes a first inclination surface 16a inclined with respect to the thickness direction (diameter direction) of the frame 11, and includes a recessed portion 16b.

(17) The first inclination surface 16a is formed with an inclination angle of about 45 degrees so as to extend from the position which is about half of the thickness (the thickness of the frame 11 in the diameter direction) of the engagement unit 18 made by engaging the first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit 17 to the inner peripheral surface of the frame 11.

(18) As shown in FIG. 2(b), the recessed portion 16b is formed in a substantially keyhole shape, and accordingly, the recessed portion 16b is formed so that the width of the opening portion (the width of the opening portion at the end surface side of the frame 11) is narrower than that at the deeper side. The recessed portion 16b is formed to penetrate in the thickness direction of the frame 11, and is formed in a substantially central portion in the width direction of the first engagement unit 16 (the axial direction of the frame 11). As described above, the recessed portion 16b is also open to the external peripheral surface of the frame 11, and therefore, through this opening, the projection portion 17b explained later can be engaged with the recessed portion 16b from the outside to the inside in the diameter direction of the frame 11.

(19) The second engagement unit 17 includes a second inclination surface 17a inclined with respect to the thickness direction (diameter direction) of the frame 11, and includes a projection portion 17b.

(20) The second inclination surface 17a is formed with an inclination angle of about 45 degrees so as to extend from the position which is about half of the thickness (the thickness of the frame 11 in the diameter direction) of the engagement unit 18 to the inner peripheral surface of the frame 11. Therefore, the second inclination surface 17a can be in close contact with the first inclination surface 16a. More specifically, the inclination direction of the second inclination surface 17a is opposite to the inclination direction of the first inclination surface 16a, and the inclination of the second inclination surface 17a in the inclination direction and the inclination thereof in the width direction perpendicular to the inclination direction are the same as those of the first inclination surface 16a.

(21) The projection portion 17b is formed in a shape so as to engage (fit) with the recessed portion 16b in a substantially keyhole shape. More specifically, the projection portion 17b includes the main body of the projection portion in the disk shape and the neck portion formed with the main body of the projection portion, and the diameter of the main body of the projection portion is more than the thickness of the neck portion.

(22) The projection portion 17b is formed at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the second engagement unit 17 (in the axial direction of the frame 11) (see FIG. 2b), and, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(d), the upper surface of the projection portion 17b is an inclination surface 17d which is extending to the end of the projection portion 17b so as to incline to the inner side in the diameter direction of the frame 11.

(23) Further, the first engagement unit 16 includes a first contact surface 16c in parallel with the thickness direction of the frame 11. The first contact surface 16c is formed to be continuous with the first inclination surface 16a, and is of a height about half of the thickness of the engagement unit 18.

(24) The second engagement unit 17 includes a second contact surface 17c in parallel with the thickness direction of the frame 11. The second contact surface 17c is formed to be continuous with the second inclination surface 17a, and is of a height about half of the thickness of the engagement unit 18.

(25) The first contact surface 16c and the second contact surface 17c are formed to be of the same size, and when the first inclination surface 16a and the second inclination surface 17a come into close contact with each other, the first contact surface 16c and the second contact surface 17c are configured to be in contact with each other.

(26) The control valve filter 10 configured as described above is attached to the peripheral groove 3 of the control valve 1 as explained below.

(27) More specifically, first, the divided portion 15 of the control valve filter 10 is attached to the peripheral groove 3 of the control valve 1 so that the divided portion 15 of the control valve filter 10 is slightly expanded against the elastic force of the frame 11, and this control valve filter 10 is attached from the divided portion 15 to the peripheral groove 3 along the peripheral groove 3.

(28) At this occasion, while the recessed portion 16b of the first engagement unit 16 formed on one end of the divided portion 15 is elastically and slightly pulled up toward the outer side with respect to the projection portion 17b of the second engagement unit 17 formed at the other end of the divided portion 15, the first engagement unit 16 is overridden on the inclination surface 17d of the projection portion 17b, and thereafter, using the elastic recover force, the recessed portion 16b is caused to slide along the inclination surface 17d at the inner side in the diameter direction of the frame 11, whereby the recessed portion 16b can be easily engaged with the projection portion 17b.

(29) As described above, the recessed portion 16b is engaged with the projection portion 17b, so that the recessed portion 16b and the projection portion 17b are not disconnected in the peripheral direction of the frame 11.

(30) When the recessed portion 16b is engaged with the projection portion 17b from the outside to the inside in the diameter direction of the frame 11, the first inclination surface 16a comes into close contact with the second inclination surface 17a, and the first contact surface 16c comes into contact with the second contact surface 17c, so that the first engagement unit 16 is engaged with the second engagement unit 17.

(31) When the first engagement unit 16 is engaged with the second engagement unit 17, the projection portions 11c, 11c formed on the inner peripheral surface of the frame 11 come into contact with the bottom surface of the peripheral groove 3 of the control valve 1, thus functioning as a stopper for stopping rotation.

(32) Subsequently, a control valve insertion structure in which the control valve 1 having the control valve filter 10 attached thereto is inserted into an attachment hole 20a formed in a device 20 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5.

(33) FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the control valve 1 inserted into the attachment hole 20a. As shown in FIG. 5, the attachment hole 20a is formed to have a circular shape in the cross section, and the control valve 1 is inserted into the inside of the attachment hole 20a with a predetermined gap therebetween.

(34) As described above, the control valve 1 has the control valve filter 10 attached thereto, and a thickness t of the engagement unit 18 obtained by engaging the first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit 17 of the control valve filter 10 is more than a gap s between the external peripheral surface of the frame 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the attachment hole 20a.

(35) A flat surface 3a is formed on a part of the bottom surface of the peripheral groove 3 of the control valve 1, and the flat surface of the back surface of the engagement unit 18 is in close contact with the flat surface 3a.

(36) On a part of the bottom surface of the peripheral groove 3, a flat surface 3b is formed to face the diameter direction of the flat surface 3a and the control valve 1, and the flat surface formed on the frame is in close contact with this flat surface 3b.

(37) According to the present embodiments, when the control valve filter 10 is attached to the peripheral groove 3 formed on the external peripheral surface of the control valve 1, the recessed portion 16b of the control valve filter 10 is engaged with the projection portion 17b from the outside to the inside in the diameter direction of the frame 11, and the first inclination surface 16a comes into close contact with the second inclination surface 17a, so that the first engagement unit 16 is engaged with the second engagement unit 17. This engagement is not a so-called snap-fit, and therefore, this can prevent the recessed portion 16b and the projection portion 17b from being deformed or damaged.

(38) The divided portion 15 includes the recessed portion 16b, the projection portion 17b, the first inclination surface 16a, and the second inclination surface 17a, which is a relatively simple shape, and therefore, more components are not required, and this saves the trouble in the production.

(39) Further, when the first engagement unit 16 is engaged with the second engagement unit 17, the second engagement unit 16 is overridden on the inclination surface 17d of the projection portion 17b, and thereafter, the recessed portion 16b is caused to slide along the inclination surface 17d at the inner side in the diameter direction of the frame 11, whereby the recessed portion 16b can be easily engaged with the projection portion 17b.

(40) When the first inclination surface 16a and the second inclination surface 17a come into close contact with each other, the first contact surface 16c and the second contact surface 17c are in contact with each other, and therefore, the first inclination surface 16a and the second inclination surface 17a can be positioned to be reliably brought into close contact with each other, and this can prevent the first inclination surface 16a and the second inclination surface 17a from slipping.

(41) Further, while the control valve 1 is inserted into the attachment hole 20a formed in the device 20, the thickness of the engagement unit 18 obtained by engaging the first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit 17 of the control valve filter 10 is more than the gap between the external peripheral surface of the frame 11 of the control valve filter 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the attachment hole 20a, and therefore, this does not increase the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the control valve filter 10 and the external peripheral surface of the control valve 1 having the control valve filter 10 attached thereto. Therefore, the engagement unit 18 is less likely to be detached because of the hydraulic pressure of the control fluid, and the projection portion 11c can function effectively, which is provided at the inner side of the filter to serve as the stopper for stopping rotation.

(42) In the present embodiments, while the recessed portion 16b of the first engagement unit 16 is slightly pulled up to the outside with respect to the projection portion 17b of the second engagement unit 17, the recessed portion 16b is engaged with the projection portion 17b from the outside to the inside in the diameter direction of the frame 11, but instead of this configuration, while the projection portion 17b of the second engagement unit 17 is slightly pulled up to the outside with respect to the recessed portion 16b of the first engagement unit 16, the projection portion 17b is engaged with the recessed portion 16b from the outside to the inside in the diameter direction of the frame 11, so that the first engagement unit 16 and the second engagement unit are engaged with each other.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(43) 1 control valve 3 peripheral groove 10 control valve filter 11 frame 12 filter member 15 divided portion 16 first engagement unit 16a first inclination surface 16b recessed portion 16c first contact surface 17 second engagement unit 17b projection portion 17c second contact surface 17d inclination surface 18 engagement unit 20 device 20a attachment hole