Patent ID: 9140370
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: F16K

Abstract:
1. A channel-switching valve, comprising: a valve main body provided with a valve chamber having an upper side valve seat section and a lower side valve seat section; a valve body which is rotated with upper and lower end surfaces of the valve body opposed to and in contact with the upper side valve seat section and the lower side valve seat section; and an actuator which rotationally drives the valve body, wherein a plurality of ports which communicate with an exterior of the valve main body are formed in the upper side valve seat section, and a plurality of ports which communicate with the exterior of the valve main body are formed in the lower side valve seat section; wherein the plurality of ports formed in the upper side valve seat section serve as a plurality of upper side inlet/outlet ports and an upper side main port, and the plurality of ports formed in the lower side valve seat section serve as a plurality of lower side inlet/outlet ports which are paired with the plurality of upper side inlet/outlet ports and a lower side main port; wherein the lower side main port is paired with the upper side main port; wherein the valve body is provided with at least one communication path which can allow the plurality of ports formed in the upper side valve seat section and the plurality of ports formed in the lower side valve seat section to communicate with each other; wherein the valve chamber is substantially hermetically divided into an upper chamber section including the upper side valve seat section and a lower chamber section including the lower side valve seat section by the valve body; wherein the at least one communication path allows at least one port formed in the upper side valve seat section and at least one port formed in the lower side valve seat section to communicate with each other or does not allow all ports formed in the upper side valve seat section and all ports formed in the lower side valve seat section to communicate with each other in accordance with a rotational position of the valve; and wherein the valve body can take a third rotation position in which only the upper and lower side main ports are allowed to communicate with each other, in addition to the first and the second rotation positions.