FR2569813A1 - MINIATURE VALVE VALVE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A MINIATURE VALVE. IT RELATES TO A VALVE SHAPED BY STACKING OF FLAT ELEMENTS 3-9, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS 7 HAVING A BODY 30 FOR ADJUSTING THE FLUID FLOW CIRCULATING IN NOZZLES 27 SHAPED IN ANOTHER ELEMENT 5, THIS BODY 30 BEING CONTROLLED BY AN ARMATURE 38 ITSELF MOVED BY AN ELECTRIC MOTOR 40. THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS ARE MAINTAINED BY INJECTION OF A POLYMERISABLE ADHESIVE MATERIAL. APPLICATION TO THE MANUFACTURE OF MINIATURE VALVES.

Description

The present invention relates to a valve and more specifically to a valve

  of the type which comprises a member intended to cooperate with one or more nozzles and that comes to hit the fluid from the nozzle or each nozzle, under pressure. The invention also relates to a method of

manufacture of such a valve.

  So far, some valves have included a member for reducing or preventing movement, for example a valve or other blade-shaped element which, for example under the control of an electric motor, flexes relative to a nozzle or two opposite nozzles

  and increases or reduces the obstacle to traffic

  in order for the member to have the desired control effect of a device controlled by a fluid under pressure, associated

  at such valves. When these valves have been perfected

  their applications have greatly increased and

  some of these are such that miniature versions of these valves are now required. However, the current achievements of these valves are such that it is very difficult to achieve on a very small scale,

  without serious manufacturing problems.

  The invention relates to the resolution of this problem and more specifically to the production of a valve comprising a member intended to oppose the circulation and to cooperate with at least one nozzle, the valve having a construction so compact that it can be carried out with very

  small dimensions, without significant manufacturing problem.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a valve

  which comprises a laminated building shell comprising

  a plurality of sheet-like elements, attached to each other face to face, one of the elements having at least one nozzle, the housing having a chamber defined by openings formed in some of the elements and into which the nozzle or each nozzle, the valve further comprising a member intended to oppose the circulation, of flat shape, and a device for maneuvering this member, the latter being housed in the chamber and being intended to cooperate with the nozzle while being supported by the mounting device around the axis of which it

  can be moved by the pivoting maneuvering device

  so that it varies the flow rate of fluid flowing from the nozzle into the chamber and thus regulates the pressure in the chamber.

  at least one service channel of the valve.

  The mounting device is preferably also of flat shape, having the same thickness as the body

  intended to prevent circulation, or practically.

  Preferably, one of the elements has two nozzles

  and the axis of the mounting device is placed transversally

  the length of the body intended to oppose the circulation of

  lation, in a plane that is halfway between

  two nozzles, so that a first part of the body

  to oppose the circulation cooperates with a first nozzle and another surface portion of this member cooperates

with the other nozzle.

  The mounting device can be formed in one piece with the member intended to prevent the circulation

  and it protrudes transversely so that it can be dis-

  placed between two adjacent sheet-shaped elements.

  In this case, the mounting device is preferably formed of a material having characteristics such that it can form a torsion spring for mounting the organ

  intended to oppose traffic.

  The operating device may comprise an electric motor for applying a force and in this case

  the output or induced member of this motor may be suitable

  attached to the body intended to oppose the circulation.

  The nozzle or each nozzle may preferably communicate, upstream, with a source of pressurized fluid, through a passageway and orifices formed in some of the sheet-like elements, and may also communicate with a device that can be controlled by a fluid under pressure and which is controlled by the valve, the nozzle

  or each nozzle being connected, downstream, to an evacuation.

  The sheet-like elements may be held in position in face-to-face contact by a suitable adhesive material or by any suitable metallic joining method, for example by welding or brazing, or by mechanical fasteners. In addition, the sealing between the sheet-like elements can be provided by elastomeric seals occupying cavities

  suitably arranged and formed by etching.

  The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing

  a valve of the type indicated above, the method comprising (a) forming a plurality of sheet-like members each having a desired profile, (b) forming a member to oppose the circulation of a fluid,

  having the necessary shape and having a pivoting device

  (c) the creation of cavities of the desired shape and size in some of the elements, (d) the formation, in some of the elements, of apertures of suitable shape and configuration, (e) the formation of at least one nozzle in one of the elements, (f) stacking the elements face to face, on a base, with the anti-traffic member and its mounting device, placed therein , (g) the tightening of the elements against

  the basis, (h) the application to tight elements of a

  which assures their association and the formation of a laminated box, and (i) the removal of the associated elements, with

  the organ intended to oppose the circulation and its

  mounting device, relative to the base.

  The method of combining the various elements may comprise injecting an adhesive material in the uncured state in at least some of the openings and in

  consequence in at least some of the cavities, and the heating

  fage the assembly to a predetermined temperature and then maintain at this temperature for a predetermined time

  so that the adhesive material hardens.

  Advantages obtained according to the invention are the realization of a very compact valve, suitable for miniaturization, which can be controlled by low power signals, for example applied

  to an electric motor, and which can be used directly

  for controlling a device controlled by a fluid under pressure, or as a first stage in an arrangement

  multi-stage fluid switching.

  Other features and advantages of two embodiments of the invention will be better understood

  on reading the following description of two modesof

  embodiment of the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective of a valve according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective different from the valve of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the underside of the valve of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section along the line V-V of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a perspective of a part of a

  valve according to a second embodiment of the invention.

  Referring first to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings; a single-stage valve 1 comprises a housing 2 of

  laminated construction in which a number of

  sheet-shaped metal foils (eg steel) in the form of

  to each other, face to face, by a suitable adhesive material

  nable as described below, and by bolts (not shown) which pass through holes such as 10, 11,

  12, 13 formed in each of the elements.

  Element 3 forms a base plate having a pressurized liquid inlet channel 14 from a not shown reservoir, a return channel for connection to a reservoir (not shown) and two service channels or 16, 17 intended to be connected to a device controlled by a liquid under pressure (not shown) whose operation is controlled by

  the valve. Element 3 has a cavity 18 in which

mouth channel 14.

  The element 4 forms an orifice plate having cavities 19, 20, communicating with the cavity 18 through orifices 21, 22. The element 4 also has a channel 23 which comprises a purge narrowing 24 and which is aligned with the channel 15 back and on a channel 25 formed in

Element 5.

  Element 5 forms a nozzle plate. A channel 25 opens into the cavity 26 of the element 5 and two remote nozzles 27, 28 protrude above the lower part.

of this cavity.

  Element 6 is a spacer plate

  and it advantageously has an opening 29.

  Element 7 is part of an armature of the valve

  and includes an organ 30 to oppose the circulation of

  rectangular profile, the surface parts of which

  31, 32 are intended to cooperate with the adjacent nozzles.

  The rectangular member 30 is integral with the element 7 because it is formed by cutting the element by a chemical machining process, a machining process.

  electrochemical or by electro-erosion machining. The machined

  of some or all of the other elements of the housing can be achieved at least in part by one

any of these methods.

  The cutting of the element 7, during the formation of the member 30 in this embodiment, is such that, as indicated by the references 33 and 34, the member comprises a mounting device 35, 36 by pivoting into direction transverse to the length of the member 30 and outside

  of the latter, the mounting device thus having a sec-

  rectangle and the same thickness as element 7.

  The material of the element 7 and thus of the mounting device, is such that the member 30 can pivot about the axis of pivoting of the mounting device, despite the torsional resistance forces exerted by the device of

  these forces being determined by the characteristics

  of the material chosen for element 7 and thus for

the mounting device.

  An armature 38 which completes the armature assembly and which has the same rectangular profile as the member 30 and substantially the same thickness, is attached to this body by

  a suitable adhesive, for example an epoxy resin.

  Element 8 forms a spacer plate and has

a suitable opening 39.

  The element 9 forms the mounting plate of an electric motor 40 of application of the force of which the armature 38 is part. This engine comprises a permanent magnet 41 and a

  stator 42 to which windings 43 are associated.

  that the latter are suitably excited by an electric current, a variable magnetic field is superimposed on the permanent magnetic field of the magnet 41 and thus causes a pivoting of the armature 38 and thus the member 30 in one direction or in the other around the axis 37 of the device, 36 mounting. As a result, the member 30 tilts relative to its neutral position in such a way that its surface portion 37 approaches the nozzle 27 and its

  part 32 of the surface moves away from the nozzle 28, or vice versa.

  When performing some of the elements of the valve, the orifices and nozzles are preferably formed by spark machining or they can be drilled, and the tips of the nozzles 27, 28 are shaped by

  spark machining or any other suitable

machining

  During assembly of the elements, they are first cleaned and then dry-stacked on a base forming a tool with studs (not shown), the studs passing through the aligned holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 of all elements. Under these conditions, the elements are in contact metal-on-metal. A clamping arrangement (not shown either) is then applied to firmly hold the elements together and a suitable adhesive material, for example in the form of an epoxy resin, is injected into the cavities or recessed areas. suitably formed at the interfaces of the elements, by suitable connection holes formed in the elements. The entire tool and valve is then heated to a predetermined temperature and maintained at that temperature for a predetermined time to

  that the adhesive material hardens and that the film elements

  the casings of the valve casing are firmly held on top of one another. The adhesive material also ensures

  the necessary waterproofness of the box.

  During operation of the valve 1 described above, the member 30 and the armature 38 being in the neutral position, liquid transmitted under pressure to the channel 14 flows through the orifices 21, 22 and the cavities 19, 20 and leaves by

  the nozzles 27, 28 in the chamber 44 delimited by the ele-

  5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The liquid in chamber 44 is

  evacuated to the reservoir through channel 23 and the narrowing

  24. Since the member 30 is in its neutral position, equal currents flow through the nozzles 27, 28 so that equal pressures prevail upstream of the nozzles, in the channels 16, 17 of use. As a result, the device

  controlled by the valve remains in equilibrium position.

  When the motor 40 then receives electrical signals which cause the member 30 to move away from its neutral position about the axis 37, in spite of the torsional antagonistic forces of the mounting device, 36 in the direction of the needles. a watch in FIG. 4, the obstacle presented to the circulation in the nozzle 28 is increased while that presented to the circulation in the base 27 is reduced, and the pressure increases in the channel 17 whereas it decreases in the channel 16. The associated apparatus is therefore controlled according to these pressures prevailing in the channels 16 and 17. Conversely, when

  the motor 40 receives electrical signals such as the

  As shown in FIG. 30, the pressure in the channel 16 increases and that of the channel 17 decreases, so that the associated apparatus operates in the opposite direction. .

  Reference is now made to the second embodiment of

  embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6; the element 50 which is part of an assembly forming an armature is similar to the element 7 of the first embodiment because it comprises a rectangular member 51 intended to oppose the flow of fluid and integral with the element 50 formed by proper cutting of the element. The cutout is still such that the member 51 has two mounting devices 54, 55 similar to those of the first embodiment,

  as indicated in references 52 and 53.

  The valve of the second embodiment is intended

  to form the first stage of an electro-hydraulic distributor

  In this case, two utilization channels (not shown), analogous to the channels 16, 17 of the first embodiment, each communicate with a respective chamber (not shown), each at one end. a distributor (not shown) forming the second stage of the servo distributor. A reaction wire 56 is attached to the underside of the member 51 by any of a number of convenient methods such as brazing, welding or press fitting the wire into a hole, the connecting position to the member being in the plane of the axis 57 of the mounting device 54, 55. The free end 58 of the reaction wire 56 comprises a ball and is intended to cooperate with little friction with a suitable location formed in the distributor drawer forming the second floor. The reaction wire 56

  through suitable openings formed in

  laminated parts of the valve housing forming the first stage and in the distributor housing forming the second

  floor. These openings can be made by any one

  any of the processes referred to above with reference

in the first embodiment.

  During operation of the electronic dispenser

  hydraulic control of the second embodiment, reaction signals proportional to the axial displacement

  of the drawer are transmitted by the wire 56 to the member 51.

  Although, in the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings, the members 30, 51 opposing the circulation of the fluid each cooperate with two nozzles, in other embodiments, the member may also cooperate with a nozzle and, in this case, the organ of suitable shape is mounted so that it can

  rotate by being resiliently biased towards the nozzle.

  Furthermore, although in the previous embodiments the laminated elements of the valve casing are secured by an adhesive material, in other embodiments of the invention they may be secured in another manner. for example by brazing, by welding or by mechanical fasteners, the seal between the laminated elements can be provided by elastomer seals placed in cavities suitably arranged

  and formed for example by etching.

  Finally, although in the embodiments described with reference to the drawings, the control signals of the valve are transmitted by an electric motor, the valve

  can also be controlled by other devices, trans-

  putting pneumatic or hydraulic or even mechanical signals. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the valves and processes that have just been described as examples only.

  non-limiting without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (16)

  1. Valve, of the type that includes a laminated building case having a plurality of shaped elements   sheets attached to each other and face to face,   in that one of the elements (5) has at least one   nozzle (27, 28), the housing (2) having a chamber (44) delimits   formed by openings formed in some of the elements (6-8) and into which each nozzle opens, the valve further comprising a member (30) of flat shape, intended to oppose the circulation, and a maneuvering device ( 40) of this member, this member being placed in the chamber, being intended to cooperate with the nozzle and being supported by a mounting device (35, 36) about the axis (37) which it can pivot under the control of the operating device so that the flow rate of fluid discharged through the nozzle in said chamber varies and so that the pressure prevailing in at least one user channel (16, 17) of the valve be set.   2. Valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting device (35, 36) also has a flat shape, of the same thickness as that of the member (30)   intended to oppose the circulation, practically.   Valve according to one of claims 1 and   2, characterized in that the first member (5) has two nozzles (27, 28) and the axis (37) of the mounting device (35, 36) is arranged transversely to the length of the member (30). opposing the circulation and midistance between the two nozzles so that a first surface portion (31) of this member cooperates with a first nozzle (27) and another surface portion (32) of the member cooperates with the other nozzle (28).   Valve according to any one of the claims   previous, characterized in that the mounting device (35, 36) is formed in one piece with the member (30)   opposing the traffic and thus exceeds transverse-   to it, between two sheet-like elements (6, 8). 1 1 5. Valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the mounting device (35, 36) is formed of a material having characteristics such that it forms a torsion spring acting on the member opposing the circulation .   Valve according to any one of the claims   previous arrangements, characterized in that the device   operating mechanism is an electric motor (40).   Valve according to Claim 6, characterized in that the armature or output member (38) of the engine is   appropriately fixed to the organ (30) opposing the circulation lation.   Valve according to any one of the claims   characterized in that the nozzle or each nozzle (27, 28) is intended to communicate, upstream, with a reserve of fluid under pressure by a passage (19,   ) and orifices (21, 22) formed in some of the elements   in the form of a sheet, and is also intended for   quer with a device controlled by a fluid under pressure and controlled by the valve, each nozzle being connected, in downstream, to an evacuation.   Valve according to any one of the claims   previous arrangements, characterized in that the sheet-like elements (3-9) are held in fixed cooperation,   face to face, by an adhesive material.   Valve according to any one of the claims   1 to 8, characterized in that the sheet-like elements (3-9) are held in fixed cooperation, facing   opposite, by a suitable metallic junction.   Valve according to Claim 10, characterized   in that the metallic junction is a welding or brazing.   Valve according to Claim 10, characterized in that the metal junction is provided by mechanical fasteners.   Valve according to any one of the claims   previous arrangements, characterized in that the sealing between the sheet-like elements is ensured by   elastomeric seals placed in cavities suitable for   arranged and formed by chemical etching.   A method of manufacturing a valve according to claim 1, characterized by comprising (a) forming a plurality of sheet-like members (3-9) each having a desired profile, (b) forming a a fluid-displacing member (30) having a desired shape and having an associated rotational mounting device (35, 36), (c) providing, in certain embodiments   elements, cavities with a dimension and an   (d) training, in some of the   sizes, openings of desired size and shape, (e) forming in one of the elements of at least one nozzle (27, 28), (f) stacking the elements so that they are in contact face-to-face, on a base, the flow-restricting member and the mounting fixture being enclosed therein, (g) clamping the members against each other on the base, (h) the application to the tight elements of a treatment assuring their association and the formation of a box-pinned, and (i) the removal of the associated elements, with the body opposing the circulation   and its mounting device, the base.   15. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the combination treatment of the elements is the injection of an adhesive material in an uncured state in at least some of the openings and therefore in at least some of the cavities, and heating the whole   at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time   finished so that the adhesive material hardens.   16. Valve according to any one of the claims   1 to 13, of the two-stage type, characterized in that   that a reaction wire (56) is attached to the member (51)   to traffic and is intended to cooperate with a low friction with a movable element of the second stage of the valve.