Spring washer for a variable flow rate valve mechanism

A variable flow rate valve mechanism comprising:

• a valve including a valve body and a valve shaft protruding from the valve body;
• a lock member fixed to the valve shaft;
• a valve attachment member attached to the valve shaft between the valve body and the lock member to hold the valve together with the lock member;
• and
• a spring washer formed into an annular shape around an axis of the spring washer and disposed adjacent to the valve attachment member, the spring washer comprising:
• a support portion including a seat surface formed along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the spring washer and an open surface provided opposite to the seat surface;
• a deformable portion connected to the support portion, wherein the deformable portion extends in an inclined manner with respect to the plane from a bending point of the spring washer, and wherein the deformable portion includes a contact surface formed to be continuous with the open surface of the support portion;
• and
• a protrusion portion extending over the open surface of the support portion in a radial direction of the spring washer to limit a deformation of the deformable portion in an axial direction of the spring washer during actuation of the spring washer, wherein the support portion is at least 20% wider than the protrusion portion in the radial direction so as to space away the protruding portion from the bending point of the spring washer, in the radial direction.

A variable flow rate valve mechanism comprising:

• a valve;
• a stem having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled to the valve;
• a bearing that has a tubular shape and rotatably supports the stem;
• a link member coupled to the second end of the stem, the second end of the stem protruding from an end face of the bearing;
• and
• a spring washer, formed into an annular shape, the spring washer comprising:
• a support portion including a seat surface formed along a plane perpendicular to an axis of the spring washer and an open surface provided opposite to the seat surface;
• a deformable portion connected to the support portion, wherein the deformable portion extends in an inclined manner with respect to the plane from a bending point of the spring washer, and wherein the deformable portion includes a contact surface formed to be continuous with the open surface of the support portion;
• and
• a protrusion portion extending over the open surface of the support portion in a radial direction of the spring washer to limit a deformation of the deformable portion in an axial direction of the spring washer during actuation of the spring washer, wherein the support portion is at least 20% wider than the protrusion portion in the radial direction so as to space away the protruding portion from the bending point of the spring washer, in the radial direction,
• wherein the spring washer is disposed closer to the link member than to the valve.