JP2001153250A - Laminated piezoelectric actuator valve - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve capable of removing a laminated piezoelectric actuator without disassembling a valve total unit, by preventing generation of a seat leak even in an ultra-high vacuum and a high differential pressure. SOLUTION: This valve has a valve seat 18 formed in an upper surface of a valve main unit 11, a seal plate 16 arranged so as to cover the valve seat, and a press mechanism 50 capable of pressing the seal plate to a seal surface 66 of the valve seat 18. The press mechanism is provided with a laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 to press in accordance with its deformation the seal plate 16 to the seal surface of the valve seat 18. The valve seat 18 is provided with a seal surface arranged around an opening end of a second flow path and a fluid chamber formed in an outer side of the seal surface 66 to open the upward. The fluid chamber is connected to a first flow path extended into the valve main unit. The seal plate 16 is constituted by a metal plate provided with a rubber film in a part oppositely facing to the seal surface of the valve seat.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve for controlling a small amount of gas flow. The present invention particularly relates to a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve that can be suitably used as a gas injection valve in a fuel gas injection facility for a fusion device or a gas flow control valve in a vacuum test device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a laminated piezoelectric element valve that transmits a deformation amount of a laminated piezoelectric element by leverage and changes a gas flow rate, or a normally closed type flow control valve using a piezo stack, which is a kind of laminated piezoelectric element, has been known, for example, JP-A-10-1
No. 73440 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-12146. Piezoelectric elements are preferably used in a fusion device in which a magnetic field acts, because they are not affected by electromagnetism and can accurately control displacement in accordance with an applied voltage.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional laminated piezoelectric element valve. The laminated piezoelectric element valve 100 of FIG.
1 and a valve mechanism 130 fixed to the upper surface of the outlet flange 121. The valve mechanism 130 includes a laminated piezoelectric actuator 80, a cover 117, an arm 114, a pin shaft 113 for pivotally supporting the arm, a block 115,
A seal surface 106, a spring retainer 104, and the like are provided. The movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 is connected to one end of the arm 114, and the other end of the arm 114 is connected to the spring 1.
05 biased downward. The seal surface 106 is disposed near the other end of the arm 114 and is pressed against the valve seat surface of the valve seat 18 by the elastic force of the spring 105, whereby the space between the seal surface 106 and the valve seat 18 is sealed. Is done. The gas pressure filling the inlet side flange 101 is changed to the sealing surface 106.
Acts as a preload.

When a voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 via the current introduction terminal 120, the movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 connected to one end of the arm 114 shifts downward. As a result, the other end of the arm 114 is pushed up against the force of the spring 105 with the pin shaft 113 as a fulcrum, and a gap is formed between the valve seat 18 and the sealing surface 106, and gas passes through the gap and the gas enters the flange. It flows out from the 101 side to the second flow path 68 in the valve seat 18. The flow rate of the flowing gas is controlled by adjusting the applied voltage to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 and adjusting the gap between the valve seat 18 and the seal surface 106.

[0005] The laminated piezoelectric element valve 100 shown in FIG.
When a sheet leak occurs between the valve mechanism 130 and the sealing surface 106, the inside of the inlet flange 101 accommodating the valve mechanism 130 is set to atmospheric pressure, the outlet flange 121 is removed, and the screw 102, the spring holder 103, the spring retainer 104, and the spring 105 Must be readjusted, and in the event of a malfunction, the valve must be disassembled. Further, when a trouble occurs in the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80, the current introduction terminal 1
The lead wire between the piezoelectric actuator 20 and the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 had to be disconnected. Furthermore, since the inlet-side pipe joint 63 of the inlet-side flange 101 and the outlet-side flange joint 72 of the outlet-side flange 121 are in one direction, depending on the fitting port,
There were inconveniences such as the inability to install in a normal state (a state in which a force such as the weight of a part itself is not applied to the sealing surface).

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a flow control valve using a conventional piezo stack and a diaphragm 116 used therein. The flow control valve 200 of FIG.
A piezo stack 180, a diaphragm pressing body 141, a support plate 39, a spring 47 (coil spring), a spring holder 44, a sphere 45, a push plate 46, a diaphragm 116, a valve mechanism 130 including a valve seat 18 and the like are provided. A seal is made between the atmospheric pressure side and the gas pressure side in a plane portion around the diaphragm 116. The lower surface of the diaphragm and the valve seat surface are in contact with each other, and a vacuum seal is provided between the second flow path 68 (outlet side, vacuum side) and the first flow path 62 (inlet side, gas pressure side). In the valve mechanism 130, a voltage is applied to the piezo stack 180 via the lead wire 122 so that the support plate 39 is fixed to the piezo stack 180.
Is displaced upward, and the diaphragm pressing body 141 and the spring holder 44 move upward so as to compress the spring 47. As a result, the pressing force against the diaphragm 116 is eliminated, and a gap is generated between the valve seat 18 and the diaphragm 116, so that gas flows from the first flow path 62 to the second flow path 68 (or in the opposite direction according to the pressure). Flows. The flowing gas flow rate is determined by controlling the voltage applied to the piezo stack 180.

The flow control valve 200 shown in FIG.
The seal performance is inferior in an ultra-high vacuum region because the surface of the diaphragm 116 is sealed by metal touch. (In order to provide ultra-high vacuum seal performance with metal touch, a considerable amount of piezo stack or large You need a piezo stack, which means you need one with a high power.) Also, as shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 16 denotes an element having a substantially spherical portion (dome type). When the applied voltage is small and the current is not constant, the gas outflow speed may be inferior. Also, Piezo Stack 1
When a defect occurs in the 80, it is necessary to remove the solder between the terminals of the piezo stack and the lead wires and to separate the lead wires. In addition, since the gas flows out in one direction, there is an inconvenience that some ports may not be installed in a normal state (a state in which a force such as the weight of parts is not applied to the sealing surface) depending on the connection port.

[0008]

A conventional piezoelectric element valve is:
By controlling the amount of voltage applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the amount of displacement is transmitted to the arm, and the amount of displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is enlarged and transmitted in the other direction with the pin axis as a fulcrum, thereby abutting the valve seat and the seal surface. By changing the club spacing,
You have a controlled gas flow. When the voltage is released, the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is returned, and the sealing surface and the valve seat abut again by the urging force of the spring to seal and reduce the gas flow rate to zero, but the sealing surface and the valve are damaged due to damage to the valve seat and the sealing surface. If a seat leak occurs between the seats or a malfunction occurs in the valve mechanism, maintenance problems such as the need to disassemble and adjust the entire valve, and the setting and operating axes There is a problem such as difficulty in resetting the settings. Further, when the connection is performed by using a conflat flange or the like, there is a disadvantage that proper attachment cannot be performed unless the conversion flange is modified depending on the position of the mating flange.

The conventional flow control valve 200 of FIG.
When the movable end 182 of the piezo stack is displaced by controlling the voltage of the piezo stack 180, the diaphragm pressing body 14
1 lifts the spring holder 44, contracts the coil spring 47, releases the pressing force on the diaphragm 116, changes the contact gap between the valve seat 18 and the diaphragm 116, and controls the flow rate with a low differential pressure. When the voltage is released, the displacement of the piezo stack 180 returns, and the diaphragm 116 and the valve seat 18 again come into contact with the urging force of the coil spring 47 to reduce the flow rate to zero and seal. Diaphragm 116 and valve seat 1
No. 8 has a problem that a sheet leak occurs when it is used in an ultra-high vacuum region or when the pressure on the fluid inlet side is high and the pressure on the fluid outlet side is low because it is a metal touch seal. The flow control valve in FIG. 2A uses a material that is magnetic to the sphere 45 and the like because it is not required to be used in a magnetic field atmosphere.

The conventional flow control valve 20 shown in FIG.
Since the flow rate control at 0 obtains the flow rate by controlling the fluid velocity, it has high precision in the flow rate control in units of minutes, but is not suitable for instantaneous supply of gas fluid or flow rate control in pulses (seconds). It is. In addition, when connecting with joints, depending on the position of the mating joint, regular conversion can not be done unless the conversion joint is worked, and the voltage supply to the piezo stack can be directly connected to the lead wire with solder etc. is necessary.

An object of the present invention is to improve the disadvantages of the conventional multilayer piezoelectric element valve and the flow control valve using a piezo stack, and to provide a multilayer piezoelectric actuator valve which does not generate a sheet leak even in ultra-high vacuum and high differential pressure. That is. It is another object of the present invention to provide a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve in which the laminated piezoelectric actuator can be detached or attached without disassembling the entire valve, and the occurrence of a sheet leak can be easily repaired. Another object of the present invention is that the displacement amount of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is directly transmitted to the valve mechanism, which facilitates the alignment of the setting axis and the operation axis when disassembling and reassembling the valve, and has a long-term effect. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily disassemble and repair a valve when a sheet leak occurs due to impurities in gas.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multi-layer piezoelectric actuator valve that can be freely mounted to a mating port such that the weight of the valve's internals does not affect the sealing force. Still another object of the present invention is to completely restore the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator when no voltage is applied, thereby preventing the occurrence of sheet leak. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve with minimal effects of electromagnetic fields so that it can be suitably used in a fusion device. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a laminated piezoelectric actuator that can be disassembled without disconnecting the voltage supply source and disconnecting the valve body without bringing the inside of the valve body to atmospheric pressure in the event of a failure in the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve. It is to provide an actuator valve. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description.

[0013]

The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention has, as a basic configuration, a valve seat formed on the upper surface of a valve body 11, and covers the valve seat as shown in the conceptual configuration diagram of FIG. Plate 16 having elasticity arranged as described above, a spring 47 capable of pressing the seal plate 16 against the valve seat, and a laminated piezoelectric actuator 8 for changing the pressing force of the spring 47
0, a first flow path 62 and a second flow path 68 that can communicate with each other via a gap adjusted by a seal plate and a valve seat.
Is provided. The pressing mechanism presses the seal plate against the sealing surface of the valve seat according to the deformation of the laminated piezoelectric actuator. The valve seat includes a seal surface disposed around an open end of the second flow passage and an upwardly open fluid chamber formed outside the seal surface, wherein the fluid chamber is provided in the first flow passage extending into the valve body. Communicated. The seal plate is made of a metal plate provided with a rubber film at least at a portion facing the seal surface of the valve seat, and has an elastic force acting in a direction separating the rubber film from the seal surface.

The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention can have the following configuration. (1) The metal plate includes a disk portion, an outer peripheral flat portion, and a conical portion connecting both portions. (2) The rubber film is formed by vulcanizing and vapor-depositing rubber on a disk-shaped portion. (3) The mounting surface is arranged around the valve seat of the valve body, and the outer peripheral flat portion of the metal plate is airtightly mounted on the mounting surface. (4) The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve further includes a valve bonnet fixed to the upper surface of the valve body, and a valve bon fixed to the valve bonnet.
A U-shaped bracket, and a power supply connector secured to the U-shaped bracket. (5) The lead wire of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is connected to a power supply connector via a pin and a socket.

(6) The pressing mechanism includes a sealing plate pressing member detachably connected to the movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator via an adjustment nut, a spring holder fixed to the sealing plate pressing member, and a space between the spring holder and the sealing plate. A sphere and a push plate are provided, and a spring is provided in a compressed state between a spring holder and a spring cover which is immovable with respect to the valve pair and presses the push plate toward the valve body. (7) The fixed end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is supported immovably and detachably with respect to the valve body via a valve bonnet fixed to the valve body. (8) The metal plate is made of a nickel-cobalt alloy, the seal plate pressing body is made of a titanium aluminum alloy, the spring holder, the push plate and the spring cover are made of stainless steel, and the sphere is made of sapphire. (9) When no voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the elastic force of the spring is transmitted to the seal plate via the spring holder, the sphere and the push plate, and presses the seal plate against the valve seat. A vacuum seal is formed between the surfaces.

(10) When a voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator moves in a direction away from the valve seat, and separates the spring holder from the seal plate against the elastic force. The seal plate moves the sphere and the push plate by its own elastic force and separates from the valve seat, thereby connecting the first flow path and the second flow path. (11) In the valve body, the first flow passage has an inlet fitting extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (valve axis) of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, and the second flow passage has an outlet transverse pipe extending in a direction perpendicular to the valve axis. A joint and an outlet vertical pipe joint for communicating the second flow path with a pipe extending in the same direction as the valve axis.

(12) The multilayer piezoelectric actuator and the power supply are electrically connected via a protection resistor for protecting the multilayer piezoelectric actuator from overvoltage. (13) A short circuit of a laminated piezoelectric actuator having a short circuit resistance (discharge resistance) is provided, and when a voltage is not supplied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the short circuit is closed to short-circuit the laminated piezoelectric actuator, and the hysteresis of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is released. . (14) The sphere is made of sapphire and has high wear resistance without being magnetized.

[0018]

According to the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention, the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is directly transmitted to the disk portion of the seat plate, and the rubber film of the seat plate and the sealing surface of the valve seat are uniformly contacted. . An outer peripheral flat portion of the metal plate of the seat plate is sandwiched between the valve body and the valve bonnet to form a vacuum seal. If a seat leak occurs between the rubber film of the seat plate and the valve seat surface, the seat leak can be performed without disassembling the valve by screwing in a fixture such as an adjust nut of the laminated piezoelectric actuator placed outside the fluid gas atmosphere. Can be stopped.

The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention is provided with one gas inlet and two gas outlets (one of which is sealed with a closing plug) in the valve body, so that the weight of parts inside the valve is reduced by the metal seal plate. It can be attached to the gas manifold so as not to affect the seal surface pressure of the valve seat. The voltage application to the laminated piezoelectric actuator is performed by connecting to a power supply via a connector. When the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator is not used, the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator has a capacitance, so that it is safely short-circuited via the resistor on the power supply side, and the hysteresis of the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator is removed. In the event of a failure of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, replacement including the connector can be performed from the atmospheric pressure side.

In the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention, the pressing force of the spring is transmitted to the push plate via the sapphire sphere, and stably and uniformly presses the seal plate on the valve seat. When voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator via a connector that is insulated and fixed to the bracket,
The amount of displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is such that the spring cover and the stem are driven upward with the support plate as a reference point (fixed point). As a result, the pressing force of the spring against the seal plate is limited, the push plate is pushed up by the restoring force of the metal plate, a gap is created between the valve seat surface of the valve body and the seal surface of the metal seal plate, and gas is specified from the gas inlet side. It flows out to one of the gas outlets. The outflowing gas flows out continuously or in pulses depending on the conditions of the applied voltage.

When the applied voltage is released, the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is eliminated, and the hysteresis (residual displacement) of the laminated piezoelectric actuator becomes zero due to a resistance short circuit on the power supply side. The gas flow is stopped by bringing the seat into contact with the sealing surface of the sealing plate and performing vacuum sealing. If there is a sheet leak on the sealing surface between the valve seat and the metal seal plate, disassemble the valve by tightening the adjusting nut and lock nut to increase the urging force of the screw with the seal plate pressing body. Instead, the sealing surface pressure between the valve seat and the sealing plate is increased to prevent seat leakage.

The component material constituting the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention is composed of a non-magnetic material and a low-emission gas material in consideration of the use in a magnetic field atmosphere such as a nuclear fusion device and the emission gas of the material. . In a situation where there is a change in the normal temperature (20 to 30 degrees Celsius), the material (thermal expansion coefficient) of the material itself is affected, so the material must be selected. The component material of the seal plate is made of a combination of different thermal expansion coefficient materials.The metal plate of the seal plate is made of nickel-cobalt alloy because of the restoring force, the valve pressing body is made of titanium aluminum alloy, and the rest is made of stainless steel. The effect of expansion coefficient is minimized.

[0023]

4a to 4d are external views of a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9C is a partial cross-sectional structural view of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a structural view of the upper surface of the valve body, and FIG. FIG.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of main parts used in the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an assembled state of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG.
A valve seat 18 (FIG. 9) formed on the upper surface of the valve body 11, a seal plate 16 arranged to cover the valve seat 18,
And a pressing mechanism 50 capable of pressing the seal plate 16 against the sealing surface 66 (FIG. 9) of the valve seat 18. The pressing mechanism 50 includes the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 and presses the seal plate 16 against the sealing surface 66 of the valve seat 18 according to the deformation. Valve seat 1
8 includes a sealing surface 66 disposed around an open end 69 of the second flow path 68 and an upwardly open fluid chamber 64 formed outside the sealing surface 66.

The fluid chamber 64 communicates with a first flow path 62 extending into the valve body 11. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the metal plate 162 is provided with a rubber film 161 at least at a portion facing the sealing surface 66 of the valve seat.
The metal plate 162 has an elastic force acting in a direction separating the rubber film 161 from the sealing surface 66. As shown in FIG. 10, the metal plate 162 includes a disc portion 163 and an outer peripheral flat portion 1.
65 and a conical portion 164 connecting the two portions. The rubber film 161 is formed by vulcanizing and depositing rubber on the disk portion 163. The mounting surface 71 is arranged around the valve seat 18 of the valve body 11, and the outer peripheral flat portion 165 of the metal plate 162 is airtightly mounted on the mounting surface 71.

The pressing mechanism 50 has a laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 and presses the seal plate 16 against the sealing surface 66 of the valve seat 18 in accordance with its deformation. The pressing mechanism 50 includes a seal plate pressing member 41 detachably connected to the movable end 82 of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 via an adjustment nut 49 and a lock nut 49, and a spring holder fixed to the seal plate pressing member 41 by a screw 441. 44, the sphere 45 and the push plate 46 disposed between the spring holder 44 and the seal plate 16, and the push plate 46 which is disposed in a compressed state between the spring holder 44 and the spring cover 33 immovable with respect to the valve pair 11. A disc spring 47 is provided for pressing the valve spring 11 toward the valve body 11. The fixed end 81 of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 is supported immovably and detachably with respect to the valve body 11 via a valve bonnet 32 fixed to the valve body 11. The metal plate 162 is made of a nickel chrome alloy, and the seal plate pressing body 41 is made of a titanium aluminum alloy. The spring holder 44, the push plate 46 and the spring cover 33 are made of stainless steel. The materials of the components that make up the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve are:
Non-magnetic material with low gas emission. They are also constructed by combining different thermal expansion materials to minimize the effects of temperature changes.

When no voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80, the elastic force of the disc spring 47
4, transmitted to the seal plate 16 via the sphere 45 and the push plate 46 to press the seal plate 16 against the valve seat 18, whereby a vacuum seal is formed between the rubber film 161 of the seal plate 16 and the seal surface 66. . FIG. 15 shows a laminated piezoelectric actuator, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG.
Are elongated holes 41 to be disposed through the support plate 39.
1 can be opened. The lower end of the seal plate pressing body 41 extends through the inside of the disc spring 47 and the spring cover 33 and is fixed to the spring holder 44. Between the spring holder 44 and the valve body 11, a sphere 45, a push plate 46,
And the seal plate 16 are arranged in order. The sealing plate 16
As shown in FIG. 10, the disk portion 163 and the outer peripheral flat portion 1
65, a metal plate 162 having a conical portion 164 between them and having a self-restoring force, and a rubber film 161 formed on a sealing plate disk portion. The rubber film 161 is formed by vulcanizing and depositing rubber on a disk portion. An outer peripheral flat portion of the metal plate 162 is sandwiched between the valve body 11 and the valve bonnet 38 and is hermetically fixed to the valve body 11.

FIG. 15 shows that when a voltage is applied to the actuator 80, the disk portion 163 of the seat plate 16 is separated from the valve seat 18 by elastic force, and the first flow path 62 and the second flow path 6
8 shows how they are communicated. Multilayer piezoelectric actuator 8
0, a voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80
The movable end 82 is displaced, and the spring holder 44 is moved in a direction away from the valve seat 18 against the elastic force of the disc spring 47, and the sealing plate 16 is moved by the biasing force (elastic force) of itself to the sphere 45, By moving the push plate 46 and the disk portion 163 of the seal plate, the disk portion 163 is separated from the valve seat 18, and the first flow path 62 and the second flow path 68 are communicated.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, the valve body 11 has an inlet pipe joint 63 for connecting the first flow path 62 to a pipe extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal valve axis 21 of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80. An outlet horizontal pipe joint 67 for communicating the second flow path 68 with a pipe extending in a direction perpendicular to the valve axis;
And an outlet vertical pipe joint 70 for communicating the second flow path 68 with a pipe extending in the same direction as the valve axis.

FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram for applying a voltage to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80. The laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 and the power supply 90 are connected via a charging resistor 91 and a protective resistor 87 for protecting the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 from overvoltage. Is done. Further, a short circuit including a short circuit resistor (discharge resistor) 89 is provided in parallel with the power supply and the charging resistor. When no voltage is supplied to the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80 by the changeover switch 88, the short circuit is closed to short-circuit the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80. By short-circuiting the terminals of the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80, the electric charge stored in the capacitance of the multilayer piezoelectric actuator becomes zero, and the hysteresis of the multilayer piezoelectric actuator is released.

As shown in FIG. 5, the urging force (elastic force) of the disc spring 47 is such that the spring cover 33
The seal plate 16 is pressed to the valve seat 18 via the valve cover 44, the ball joint sphere 45, and the push plate 46. At this time, the sealing plate 1
Numeral 6 is in close contact with the valve seat 18 of the valve body 11 to shut off the gas flow. Since the outer peripheral flat portion 165 of the seal plate 16 is held in the valve body 11 in an air-tight manner, the outer peripheral flat portion 165 is connected to the atmospheric pressure side, the second flow path side (outside, vacuum side) and the first flow path side (inlet side, gas pressure side). A vacuum seal is formed between them.

FIG. 11 is an external view showing an example of the shape of the laminated piezoelectric actuator. Multilayer piezoelectric actuator 8
0 is the seal plate pressing member 4 as shown in FIGS.
When the adjustment nut 49 is screwed in, the laminated piezoelectric actuator does not contract, so that the seal plate pressing body 41 is pulled up by the screwed pitch. However, when the adjustment nut 49 is screwed in, the long hole 411 of the lower end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 hits the bottom of the support plate 39, and the support plate 39 is fixed to the valve bonnet 38. I have. The lock nut 48 is fixed after the adjustment nut 49 is adjusted. With such a structure, the gap between the valve seat 18 of the valve body and the seal plate 16 can be adjusted by adjusting the adjustment nut and the like from the atmospheric pressure side without disassembling the valve.

As shown in the three-dimensional view of the parts of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve in FIG. 13, the number of parts of this laminated piezoelectric actuator valve is smaller than that of the conventional piezoelectric element valve, and the setting axis and the operation axis are aligned. It has an easy structure. The laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 is disposed on the atmosphere side, and the rubber film 161 of the seal plate and the seal surface 66 of the valve seat are provided.
Are integrated with the valve body in order to ensure uniform contact and increase gap accuracy. This is also an advantage of reducing the number of locations subject to vacuum leakage and facilitating alignment of the set axis with the operation axis. As shown in FIG. 6 to FIG.
1 has one gas inlet (first flow path 62) and a gas outlet
The (second flow path 68) is a valve body having two locations. Out of the two gas outlets, the unused outlet is provided with a closing cap 73 having a reducer sleeve 74 and a screw portion 75 shown in FIG. It does not flow (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

As shown in FIGS. 5, 14 and 15, a voltage can be supplied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 from a power supply 90 by a connector 83, a pin 84 and a lead wire 86 with a socket 85. The bonnet 38, the seal plate pressing body 41, the hexagon bolt 34, the adjustment nut 49, the lock nut 48, the lead wire 86 with pins, etc.
3 is disposed in a protected manner within the attached U-shaped bracket 51. The U-shaped bracket 51 is fixed to the valve bonnet 32 with small screws 31. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve 10 has a structure in which the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 is housed inside a cylindrical seal plate pressing body 41 (FIG. 12), connected to a DC power supply via a connector 83, and applies a voltage. When no voltage is applied, the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 is connected to a discharge resistance (short-circuit resistance) 89 in the power supply circuit.
Short-circuited and not charged. In addition, a protection resistor 87 is incorporated to prevent trouble of the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 due to an abnormal voltage or the like. When a DC voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80, the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 generates a displacement that extends in the longitudinal direction (piezoelectric longitudinal effect), and the entire seal plate pressing body 41 is pulled up, acting in a direction to contract the disc spring 47, A gap is created between the rubber film 161 and the sealing surface 66 of the valve seat 18 of the valve body by the elastic force of the seal plate 16 itself, and gas flows from the fluid chamber 64 (gas inlet) to the second flow path 69 (gas outlet). ).

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a power supply circuit for supplying a voltage to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80. When a voltage is not applied in a state where a power supply is connected to the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80, the switch 88 of the power supply sets “O” to the discharge resistor 89 side.
N ”, the laminated piezoelectric actuator forms a short circuit including the protection resistor 87. When applying voltage,
The discharge resistance side is “OFF”, the charge resistance side is “ON”,
The specified voltage is supplied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 via the protection resistor 87. The laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 has a structure that generates a displacement according to an applied voltage.

When no voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve 10, the seal plate 16 and the valve seat 18 are uniformly adhered to each other by the urging force of the disc spring 47, and are vacuum-sealed. When a DC voltage is applied to the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80, the multilayer piezoelectric actuator 80 generates a displacement that extends in the longitudinal direction. At this time, since the lower end (fixed end) 81 of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is supported by the support plate 39, no displacement is generated on the support plate 39 side.
Working in the direction of lifting the adjustment nut 49, the adjustment nut 4
The seal plate pressing body 41 to which the fixing member 9 is fixed is raised against the urging force of the disc spring 47. The sphere 45 and the push plate 46 move upward due to the restoring force of the seal plate 16, and a gap is generated between the seal plate 16 and the valve seat surface 66 of the valve body 11, and gas flows. Conversely, when the voltage disappears, the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 undergoes a contracting change and the disc spring 47
The urging force exceeds the pressing force of the seal pressing body 41, the spring holder 44 and the like are pushed down, and the seal plate 16 and the valve seat 18 of the valve body come into close contact with each other, so that gas does not flow.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage and the flow rate of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve 10. As shown in the graph of FIG.
In the above, the gas flow rate increases substantially in proportion to the voltage when the voltage is equal to or higher than the constant value. The gas flow rate has a characteristic proportional to the applied voltage, and exhibits a continuous characteristic and a pulse-like characteristic when the applied voltage is “ON” or “OFF”.
By controlling the voltage to zero, it is possible to vary the gas flow. If a failure occurs in the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80, the power supply is disconnected from the connector 83, and the pins 84 of the lead wires 86 with pins and sockets are disconnected.
Is removed from the socket 85, the lock nut 48 is loosened, and the adjustment nut 49 is removed, whereby the valve body 11 is removed.
It is possible to easily replace the laminated piezoelectric actuator 80 without disassembling.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show an example of the mounting state of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve 10 of the present invention. In general, the gas manifold 77 of equipment using a piezoelectric element valve or the like is generally arranged horizontally or vertically, but the piezoelectric element valve or the like to be mounted is determined by a fitting flange of the gas manifold 77. In particular, in the case of an upward or sideways one, the housing such as the piezoelectric element valve or the like becomes sideways, so that there is a limitation that it is mounted via a conversion flange or a conversion port when used in a normal state. However, the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve 10 of the present invention has a gas manifold 7 as shown in the mounting state example of FIG. 17 or FIG.
The mounting can be performed without being affected by the direction of 7. That is, by selecting the gas outlet in accordance with the installation purpose of the equipment to be used, it is possible to mount the valve in a normal state such that the weight of parts inside the valve does not affect the urging force of the disc spring 47 and the restoring force of the seal plate. Therefore, the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention can perform gas flow control with higher accuracy and faster response. The gas flow rate is determined by selecting the valve seat diameter, the size of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, and the like according to the purpose of use.

The component material constituting the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention is made of a non-magnetic material and a low-emission gas material in consideration of the fact that it is used in a magnetic field atmosphere such as a nuclear fusion device and the gas emission of the material. Make up. In particular,
In a situation where there is a change in the normal temperature (20 to 30 degrees Celsius), it is necessary to select a material because the characteristic (thermal expansion coefficient) of the material itself is affected. Therefore, the component materials constituting the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention are made of a combination of different thermal expansion coefficients so as not to affect the vacuum sealing performance or the like. Others are stainless steel. However, the metal seal plate is made of a nickel-cobalt alloy from the viewpoint of restoring force.

[0039]

The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention is a valve in which the laminated piezoelectric actuator as described above is disposed outside a gas atmosphere, and the surface of a rubber film formed and vulcanized and deposited on a metal plate is integrated with the valve body. Sealing can be reliably performed with the seal surface of the seat. Further, the contact force between the rubber surface of the seal plate and the valve seat can be adjusted without disassembling the valve body. The effect of preventing and stopping seat leakage by enhancing the contact force between the rubber surface of the seal plate and the valve seat surface can be improved. Also, by metal touch by the outer peripheral flat part of the seal plate,
The structure which can vacuum seal the atmospheric pressure side, gas pressure side and vacuum side of the valve body has reliability against vacuum, and
The safety is improved because the laminated piezoelectric actuator does not touch the used gas and does not use the preload of the gas pressure. In addition, gas preload is not required on the seal surface where the rubber surface of the seal plate and the valve seat surface are in contact with each other, and the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is used directly. Alignment of motion axes becomes easy,
Providing two gas outlets for one gas inlet in the valve body allows for proper operation without considering the sealing performance of the internal parts of the valve due to its own weight and without the need for a conversion flange. It can improve the utilization effect such as being usable in

In the event of a failure such as a failure or an increase or decrease in the amount of displacement of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the maintenance is improved so that the solder can be replaced without disassembling or disassembling the valve.
Since the laminated piezoelectric actuator has a capacitance, the residual strain (hysteresis) affects the performance as a valve depending on the use condition. Therefore, by taking into account the resistance, the hysteresis of the laminated piezoelectric actuator can be released and overvoltage protection can be performed. Performance can be improved. In the present invention, the gas outlet is selected in accordance with the installation purpose of the equipment used, and a normal state (the biasing force of the buzzer is applied to the sealing surface when the weight of the parts inside the valve does not affect the biasing force of the buzzer and the restoring force of the sealing plate) (In a state perpendicular to the surface), and gas flow control with high accuracy and high speed response can be performed. The gas flow rate is determined by selecting the valve seat diameter, the size of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, and the like according to the purpose of use. Further, the pressing force of the spring is transmitted to the push plate via the sapphire sphere, and the seal plate on the valve seat can be stably and uniformly pressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural view of a multilayer piezoelectric element valve that transmits displacement of a conventional multilayer piezoelectric actuator by leverage.

FIG. 2A is a structural view of a normally closed type flow control valve using a conventional piezo stack, and FIG.
FIG. 2b is a diagram of a diaphragm used in the flow control valve of FIG. 2a.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual configuration diagram of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the present invention.

4A to 4D are external views of a multilayer piezoelectric actuator valve according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4A is a front view, and FIG.
4B is a plan view of FIG. 4A as viewed from below, FIG. 4C is a side view of FIG. 4A from the right side, and FIG. 4D is a plan view of FIG.

5A to 5C are partial cross-sectional structural views of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a plan view seen from below FIG. 4A, and FIG. Fig. 4b is a side view from the right in Fig. 4a.

FIG. 6 is a structural view of a closing plug.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the valve body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is another partial cross-sectional view of the valve body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a structural view of the upper surface of the valve body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a flat type seal plate on which a rubber film is formed.

11a to 11c are external views of a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11a is a front view, and FIG. 11b is a front view of FIG. 11a laminated piezoelectric actuator to which a lead wire with pins is attached. 11c is a side view seen from the right side of FIG. 11a, and FIG. 11d is an outline view of a connector with a socketed lead wire that engages with the pin of FIG. 11b.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of main components used in the multilayer piezoelectric actuator valve of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the assembled state of the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram for supplying a voltage to the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state where a voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing a gas flow rate characteristic with respect to an applied voltage of a laminated piezoelectric actuator valve.

FIG. 17 is a layout view showing a state in which a gas manifold which horizontally extends the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 18 is a layout view showing a state in which the laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to a vertically extending gas manifold.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Valve body, 16: Seal plate, 18: Valve seat, 2
1: Valve axis, 31: Small screw, 32: Valve bonnet, 33: Spring cover, 34: Tightening bolt, 35: Through hole, 36: Screw hole, 37: Cylindrical part, 38: Bonnet,
39: support plate, 41: seal plate pressing body, 42: upper end, 43: lower end, 44: spring holder, 45: sphere, 4
6: push plate, 47: disc spring, 48: lock nut, 49: adjusting nut, 50: pressing mechanism, 51: U-shaped bracket, 52: open end, 53: other end, 61: upper surface, 62: first flow Road (entrance side), 63: entry side fitting, 6
4: fluid chamber, 66: sealing surface, 67: outlet side horizontal pipe joint, 6
8: second flow path (exit side), 69: open end, 70: exit vertical pipe joint, 71: mounting surface, 72: flange joint (exit side), 7
3: Closing plug, 74: Reducer sleeve, 75:
Screw part, 77: gas manifold, 80: laminated piezoelectric actuator, 81: fixed end, 82: movable end, 83: connector, 84: pin, 85: socket, 86: lead wire,
87: protection resistance, 88: switch, 89: short-circuit resistance (discharge resistance), 90: power supply, 91: charging resistance, 100: piezoelectric element valve, 101: entrance flange, 102: screw, 10
3: spring holder, 104: spring holder, 105: spring,
106: seat surface, 109: O-ring, 110: retainer, 111: gasket, 112: support, 113: pin shaft, 114: arm, 115: block, 116: diaphragm, 117: cover, 118: fixing nut, 1
19: adjustment nut, 120: current introduction terminal, 121: outlet flange, 122: terminal, 130: valve mechanism, 141:
Diaphragm pressing body, 161: rubber film, 162: metal plate, 163: disk portion, 164: conical portion, 165: outer peripheral flat portion, 166: spherical portion, 182: movable end, 20
0: Flow control valve, 411: Lower end, 412: Slot, 4
41: screw, 621: first channel horizontal portion, 681: second channel horizontal portion, 682: second channel vertical portion.

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Kazumi Hiratsuka 1 at 801 Mukaiyama, Oji, Naka-machi, Naka-gun, Ibaraki Pref. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Naka Institute (72) Inventor Yasuhiko Yatsushiro 1-801, Mukaiyama, Naka-machi, Naka-gun, Ibaraki Japan 1 At the Nuclear Research Institute Naka Research Institute (72) Koji Sugihara, 2-1-1 Tanidocho, Tanashi-shi, Tokyo Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. Tanashi Factory (72) Inventor Nobuhisa Yokokawa 2-1-1, Yatocho, Tanashi-shi, Tokyo No. Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. Tanashi Factory (72) Inventor Kazuo Ozawa 1-20-2 Minamihashimoto, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Fischer Rosemount Japan Co., Ltd. AA02 AA12 BB28 BB30 BB31 BB33 CC05 CC07 EE06 FF39 HH02 HH06 3H066 AA01 BA17 BA18 BA19

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A valve seat formed on an upper surface of a valve body, a sealing plate disposed to cover the valve seat, and a pressing mechanism capable of pressing the sealing plate against a sealing surface of the valve seat. A laminated piezoelectric actuator which presses a seal plate against a seal surface of a valve seat in accordance with the deformation thereof, wherein the valve seat is arranged around an open end of the second flow path and an outer side of the seal surface. The fluid chamber is connected to a first flow path extending into the valve body, and the seal plate has a rubber film at least at a portion facing the sealing surface of the valve seat. A laminated piezoelectric actuator valve comprising a plate and having an elastic force acting in a direction separating a rubber film from a sealing surface. 2. The metal plate includes a disk portion, an outer peripheral flat portion, and a conical portion connecting both portions, and the rubber film is formed by vulcanizing and depositing rubber on the disk portion. 2. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to claim 1, wherein a mounting surface is disposed around a valve seat of the valve body, and an outer peripheral flat portion of the metal plate is airtightly mounted on the mounting surface. 3. A valve bonnet fixed to an upper surface of the valve body, a U-shaped bracket fixed to the valve bonnet, and a power supply connector fixed to the U-shaped bracket, wherein a lead wire of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is provided. 3. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve is connected to a connector via a pin and a socket. 4. The pressing mechanism includes a seal plate pressing body detachably connected to a movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator via an adjusting nut, a spring holder fixed to the seal plate pressing body, and a space between the spring holder and the seal plate. A sphere and a push plate, and a spring disposed in a compressed state between a spring holder and a spring cover immovable with respect to the valve body to press the push plate and the seal plate toward the valve body, and are fixed to the valve body. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a fixed end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator is fixedly and detachably supported to the valve body via a valve bonnet. 5. The metal plate is made of nickel-cobalt alloy, the seal plate pressing body is made of titanium aluminum alloy, the spring holder, the push plate and the spring cover are made of stainless steel, and the sphere is made of sapphire. 5. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve of claim 4, wherein the valve is made. 6. When no voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the elastic force of the spring is transmitted to the seal plate via the spring holder, the sphere and the push plate, and presses the seal plate against the valve seat. When a vacuum seal is formed between the rubber film and the sealing surface, and when a voltage is applied to the laminated piezoelectric actuator, the movable end of the laminated piezoelectric actuator moves in a direction away from the valve seat to move the spring holder against the elastic force. The seal plate moves away from the valve seat by moving the sphere and the push plate by its own elastic force, thereby separating the first flow passage and the second flow passage. 4 or 5 laminated piezoelectric actuator valve. 7. An inlet-side fitting for allowing the first flow path to communicate with a pipe extending in a direction perpendicular to a valve axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the laminated piezoelectric actuator, and a second flow path extending in a direction perpendicular to the valve axis. The valve main body is provided with an outlet side horizontal pipe joint capable of communicating with a pipe to be connected, and an outlet side vertical pipe joint capable of communicating the second flow path with a pipe extending in the same direction as the valve axis. 7. The laminated piezoelectric actuator valve according to any one of items 6 to 6. 8. A multilayer piezoelectric actuator is electrically connected between a multilayer piezoelectric actuator and a power supply via a protection resistor for protecting the multilayer piezoelectric actuator from overvoltage, and a short circuit of the multilayer piezoelectric actuator having a short-circuit resistance is provided. 8. The multi-layer piezoelectric actuator valve according to claim 1, wherein when no voltage is supplied, the short-circuit is closed to short-circuit the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator to release the hysteresis of the multi-layer piezoelectric actuator.