MOTORIZED DIVERTING VALVE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a motorized diverting valve, and more particularly, to a motorized diverting valve which improves a structure of combining a valve actuator of driving a valve and a valve portion which is opened and closed by the valve actuator with a bolt into a structure of simply fitting the valve actuator and the valve portion without having any combiner such as a bolt, and includes a cross-shaped adjustment lever of adjusting a 90°direction so that the adjustment lever on a driven shaft can be exposed at a position where a manual manipulation of the adjustment lever can be always done. Background Art

[2] A conventional motorized diverting valve is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open

Publication No. 2004-64773 on July 21, 2004 (Korean Patent Application No. 2003-1612) by the same applicant as this invention. As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, the conventional motorized diverting valve includes a valve actuator 100 having a driving motor and a valve portion 200 where a valve is actually operated to divert a flow path, in which the valve actuator 100 and the valve portion 200 is combined with a combiner 300 such as screws or bolts.

[3] The structure and operation of the conventional motorized diverting valve will be described without substantially referring to reference numerals of the drawing.

[4] The valve actuator 100 includes a driving motor, micros witches which controls the driving motor, a mircoswitch which indicates whether a valve is opened and closed, a manually driven shaft on both sides of the upper end of which an adjustment lever is formed and an upper protrusion and a lower protrusion are formed to control the mi- croswitches, and a socket which supplies electric power to the driving motor and the microswitches and transfers signals thereto. On the bottom plate of the valve actuator are formed a fixing boss to which the driving motor is fixed and a switch fixing portion to which the microswitches are fixed which are formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate, and a first fixing portion formed of a first stopper and a bolt hole opposing the first stopper which is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate. Also, the conventional motorized diverting valve includes a cover on one side of which a protrusion is formed and on which an opening from which the adjustment lever of the manual driven shaft is exposed.

[5] The valve portion includes a connection tube on the lower portion of which a heated water flow path, a boiled water flow path, and a hot water supply tube are connected, a

spherical valve assembly which rotates therein, a valve shaft to which the spherical valve assembly is fixed, a second fixing portion formed of a second stopper corresponding to the first stopper of the valve actuator and a bolt hole corresponding to the first fixing potion, all of which are formed on the upper plater thereof. The valve shaft is rotatably fixed on the upper plate with a clip. The combiner 300 includes screws or bolts.

[6] In the case of the conventional motorized diverting valve as shown in FIG. 2, when the electric power supplied via the socket provided at the side of the valve actuator 100 operates the driving motor, the rotational shaft of the driving motor is rotated to make the manual driven shaft 140 rotate, and to make the valve shaft fixed at the lower portion of the manual driven shaft 140 rotate. Accordingly, the spherical valve assembly fixed eccentrically to the valve shaft is rotated. If the spherical valve assembly is rotated, the heated water or boiled water flow path connected with the connection tube is selectively closed. In order to control the driving motor, the mi- croswitches are installed on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the valve actuator. Accordingly, the upper protrusion and the lower protrusion of the manual driven shaft are made to press the microswitches to thereby control the driving motor.

[7] The signal transfer microswitches fixed in opposition to the motor control microswitches are installed so as to be pressed by the lower protrusion of the manual driven shaft 140 at the time of interrupting the boiled water flow path so that a heated water indication is displayed on a separate display. Reversely, if the lower protrusion releases pressing of the microswitches, a boiled water indication is displayed on the display. Accordingly, a user can recognize the state of the valve without examining the valve with the naked eye at a place where the display is installed.

[8] However, the conventional motorized diverting valve has the following problems.

[9] First, the adjustment lever is a linear adjustment lever composed of two lever units that are positioned at a 180°direction from each other. Thus, as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, in the case that the driving motor stops at an emergency state, and both the adjustment lever units are hidden in the cover, a user could not manually manipulate the adjustment lever units.

[10] Second, as shown in FIG. 1, the valve actuator 100 and the valve portion 200 of the conventional motorized diverting valve are assembled by the combiner 300. Thus, if the combiner made of for example a synthetic resin material is weakened in durability, loosened or worn, inferiority occurs at the time of repeated assembly. In particular, since the valve actuator 100 and the valve portion 200 are engaged with bolts, the number of parts to be assembled is increased to thereby cause an assembly process to be increased.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[11] To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a motorized diverting valve which increases the number of adjustment lever units in order to improve a problem that a manual driven shaft composed of two conventional directional adjustment lever units on a straight line is position in the inner side of a cover, to thereby make part of the adjustment lever units exposed although a driving motor stops at an emergency state.

[12] It is another object of the present invention to provide a motorized diverting valve which prevents a combiner from being worn due to the fact that a valve actuator and a valve portion are finally combined with engagement bolts in the conventional art, and reduces the number of parts to be assembled in which the valve actuator and the valve portion are improved into a structure of being simply inserted and combined with each other. Technical Solution

[13] To accomplish the above object of the present invention, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a motorized diverting valve comprising: a valve actuator including microswitches controlling a driving motor, a manual driven shaft formed of adjustment lever units connected with the microswitches, a bottom plate on which the driving motor and the microswitches are fixed, and an opened cover having an opening through which part of the adjustment lever units of the manual driven shaft is exposed; and a valve portion including a valve body with which a heated water flow path, a boiled water flow path and a hot water supply tube are connected and located in the lower portion thereof, a spherical valve assembly which rotates therein, a valve shaft to which the spherical valve assembly is fixed, and an upper plate with which the valve actuator is connected, wherein the manual driven shaft is formed of a cross-shaped adjustment lever.

[14] Preferably, a fixing portion on which an engagement piece and an engagement hole are formed on the bottom plate of the valve actuator and a stopper engaged with the engagement piece and a fixing protrusion inserted into the engagement hole are formed on the upper plate of the valve portion, in order to combine the valve actuator and the valve portion in the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention.

Advantageous Effects

[15] As described above, the present invention provides a motorized diverting valve which enables a user to always manipulate a manual operation of an adjustment lever even in the case of electric power failure or an emergency stop. An adjustment lever 142 of the present invention has four directional adjustment lever units spaced by

90°from each adjustment lever unit. That is, the present invention improves the case that the adjustment lever cannot be manually manipulated as in the case that both adjustment lever units are positioned and hidden in the cover since the conventional adjustment lever has one or two adjustment lever units, to thereby enable a user to always manipulate the adjustment lever.

[16] Also, the present invention provides an effect of simplifying an assembly structure of combining a valve actuator and a valve portion in which the valve actuator and the valve portion are simply fitted with each other to be combined with each other. That is, the present invention improves the case that the assembly structure of the valve actuator and the valve portion in the conventional motorized diverting valve become complicated since the former is combined with the latter by means of a combiner such as bolts, through a simple fitting and combining structure of the valve actuator and the valve portion

Brief Description of the Drawings

[17] The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a combined state of a conventional motorized diverting valve from which a valve actuator and a valve portion are separated;

[19] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an operation of an adjustment lever of the conventional motorized diverting valve; [20] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a combined state of a motorized diverting valve according to the present invention; [21] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention from which a valve actuator and a valve portion are separated; [22] FIG. 5 is a detailed exploded perspective view illustrating the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention; [23] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention; and [24] FIGs. 7 through 10 are a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention, respectively.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] Hereinbelow, a motorized diverting valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [26] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a combined state of a motorized diverting

valve according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention from which a valve actuator and a valve portion are separated.

[27] As shown in FIGs, 3 and 4, the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention includes a valve actuator 100 and a valve portion 200 for making a valve rotated to divert a flow path, in which the valve actuator 100 and the valve portion 200 are combined with each other without using combining members such as screws or bolts.

[28] That is, an engagement piece 166 is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the valve actuator 100, so as to be engaged with a predetermined position of the upper plate of the valve portion 200. Also, a fixing portion 168 including an engagement hole 168a is formed in opposition to the engagement piece 166 on the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the valve actuator 100. Meanwhile, a fixing portion 234 is formed on the upper plate of the valve portion 200 in correspondence to the fixing portion 168 of the valve actuator 100 in which the fixing portion 234 includes a fixing protrusion 234a therein.

[29] FIG. 5 is a detailed exploded perspective view illustrating the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention.

[30] Referring to FIG. 5, the valve actuator 100 in the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention, includes: a driving motor 110; microswitches 122 and 124 for controlling the driving motor 110; a microswitch 130 for indicating whether a valve is opened and closed; a bottom plate 160 on the upper surface of which a boss 162 to which the driving motor 110 is fixed and switch fixing portion 164 and 164a to which the microswitches 122, 124 and 130 are fixed respectively, are formed and on the bottom surface of which a fixing portion 168 including an engagement hole 168a is formed; a manual driven shaft 140 including a cross-shaped adjustment lever 142 indicating four directions on the upper end of a vessel body 141 including an upper protrusion 144 and a lower protrusion 146 which are connected with the microswitches 122, 124, and 130; and a cover 170 on one end of which an indicator 172 is extended and including an opening 174 through which part of the adjustment lever 142 is pivotably exposed in order to indicate a predetermined position indicated on the indicator 172. The engagement piece 166 formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 160 of the valve actuator 100 is shown in FIG. 6.

[31] The valve portion 200 includes: a valve body 240 with which a heated water flow path, a boiled water flow path and a hot water supply tube are connected and formed in the lower portion thereof; a spherical valve assembly 220 which rotates in the valve body 240; a rotatable valve shaft 210 which is perpendicularly extended from the spherical valve assembly 220 and penetrates the upper plate 230 and then is fixed by a

clip 250 so that the upper end of the valve shaft 210 is penetratively fixed to the vessel body 141 of the manual driven shaft 140; and the upper plate 230 including a fixing portion 234 having a fixing protrusion 234a.

[32] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention.

[33] The valve actuator 100 is assembled as follows.

[34] The microswitches 122, 124, and 130 are fixed on the bottom plate of the valve actuator 100 by means of the switch fixing portions 164 and 164b, respectively. The upper and lower protrusions 144 and 146 of the manual driven shaft 140 are positioned to contact between the microswitches 122, 124, and 130. The driving motor 110 is fixed to the boss portion 162 so as to be connected with the axis of the driving motor 110 on the upper end of the vessel body 141. The driving motor 110 is covered with the cover 170 so that the adjustment lever 142 is pivotably positioned on the indicator 172.

[35] Meanwhile, the valve portion 200 is assembled as follows.

[36] The spherical valve assembly 220 connected with the valve shaft 210 is incorporated in the valve body 240. The valve shaft 210 penetrates the upper plate 230 and is exposed upwards to then be mounted by the clip 250. Then, the end of the valve shaft 210 is penetratively fixed to the bottom surface of the vessel body 141 of the manual driven shaft 140. Here, the engagement piece 166 formed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 160 in the valve actuator 100 is engaged with the upper plate 230 of the valve portion 200 and the engagement hole 168a opposing the engagement piece 166 is elastically pressed by the fixing protrusion 234a.

[37] FIGs. 7 through 10 are a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention, respectively. Referring to FIGs. 7 through 10, function of the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention will be descried in more detail.

[38] In the motorized diverting valve according to the present invention, electric power supplied via the socket (not shown) in the valve actuator 100 operates the driving motor 110. the rotational shaft of the driving motor 110 is made to rotate, and the manual driven shaft 140 is made to rotate. Simultaneously, the valve shaft 210 fixed to the lower portion of the manual driven shaft 140 is also made to rotate, and the spherical valve assembly 220 eccentrically fixed to the valve shaft 210 is made to rotate. As the spherical valve assembly 220 is made to rotate, the heated water or boiled water flow paths are selectively opened and closed in the valve body 240.

[39] Here, in order to control the driving motor 110, the upper protrusion 144 and the lower protrusion 146 of the manual driven shaft 140 press the microswitches 122 and 124 on the bottom plate 160 of the valve actuator 100 to thus control the driving motor

110.

[40] The driving motor 110 is controlled by the microswitches 122 and 124, to thus make the spherical valve assembly 229 rotate. Since a method of diverting a flow path of the valve body 240 is known in the Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-64773 on July 21, 2004 (Korean Patent Application No. 2003-1612) by the same applicant as this invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[41] As shown in FIGs. 7 and 9, the cross-shaped adjustment lever 142 includes four adjustment lever units which are indicated in each end of the adjustment lever units as "A", "B", "N", and "N", respectively.

[42] The indicating end of the adjustment lever 142 is made to rotate together with the driving motor 110, and indicates whether a flow path is opened and closed via the opening 174 of the cover 170.

[43] That is, in the case of the FIG. 7 state, a fluid flows and communicates from the bottom of the valve body 240 toward the lefthand arrow direction of FIG. 7, to thereby maintain a high-temperature hot water supply state.

[44] However, in the case that a flow path should be manually manipulated due to electric power failure at the state where a normal high-temperature fluid flows, the exposed adjustment lever 142 of the indication "A" or "B" should be compulsively manually made to rotate.

[45] Here, if the adjustment lever 142 is made to rotate compulsively and manually, the indication "N" indicated on both sides of the adjustment lever 142 are exposed externally via the opening 174 in the cover 170, as shown in FIGs. 8 and 10. Accordingly, the cover 170 is positioned at a neutral position on the indicator 172. As a result, since the spherical valve assembly 220 is positioned at a neutral position and makes the high-temperature fluid flow dispersedly at both side directions, it is prevented the high-temperature from being concentratively discharged.

[46] As described above, the adjustment lever units are not exposed but hidden in the cover in the case of the conventional motorized diverting valve composed of two adjustment lever units as shown in FIG. 2. However, since the adjustment lever 142 of the manual driven shaft 140 is divided into four perpendicular directions in a cross- shaped form, part of the adjustment lever 142 is exposed toward the opening 174 so that the spherical valve assembly 220 blocking the flow path of the valve body 240 can be moved at a neutral state anytime at the state where the heated water flow path or the boiled water flow path is selected. Mode for the Invention

[47] As described above, the present invention has been described with respect to a particularly preferred embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the

above embodiment, and it is possible for one who has an ordinary skill in the art to make various modifications and variations, without departing off the spirit of the present invention. Thus, the protective scope of the present invention is not defined within the detailed description thereof but is defined by the claims to be described later and the technical spirit of the present invention. Industrial Applicability

[48] As described above, the present invention provides a motorized diverting valve which can be applied to a boiler system or heating system.

[49]

[50]