JP2006057719A - Nozzle flapper valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress hysteresis of a nozzle flapper valve. <P>SOLUTION: This nozzle flapper valve 10 is provided with a linear motor 14, a flapper 22 moving in an integrated manner with the linear motor 14, radial springs 24, 26 for supporting the linear motor 14 and the flapper 22, a nozzle 32 directing an ejection opening to the flapper 22, and a restriction device 100 in a gas flow passage for restricting supply pressure Ps from a gas supply source and supplying the pressure to the nozzle 32 and a load, in a case body 12 having an airtight structure. The linear motor 14 has a magnet 16 fixed to the case body 12, a traveling body 18, and a coil 20 attached to the traveling body 18. The coil 20 is connected with a control part through a connection terminal 30 by a signal line 28. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a nozzle flapper valve, and more particularly to a nozzle flapper valve having a flapper that is driven to move in an axial direction by a drive mechanism.

  A control valve device incorporating a feedback mechanism is used to perform pressure control and flow rate adjustment of a pipeline in a pneumatic circuit and a gas supply circuit. For example, Patent Document 1 introduces US Pat. No. 3,302,782 as a prior art. In this U.S. patent, a combination of a torque motor and a pilot valve drives the armature to rotate based on the application of an input command voltage, and a pilot valve opening / closing action by a nozzle flapper mechanism is obtained by the torque generated at this time. A configuration for driving and supplying a desired fluid pressure to an actuator is disclosed. This pilot valve is sometimes referred to as a nozzle flapper valve because it includes a flapper that is displaced by the rotation of the armature and a set of nozzles that are arranged to face both side surfaces of the flapper.

  A gas flow is supplied to each nozzle of the nozzle flapper mechanism, but in order to output the operation of the nozzle flapper valve stably and precisely, as shown in Patent Document 2, in order to supply a gas flow to each nozzle, A throttle device for a gas flow path for supplying the primary pressure gas to the throttle nozzle flapper valve on the secondary side, for example, a fixed orifice is provided. In this manner, the operation of the nozzle flapper valve can be stabilized by forming a bridge circuit with the fluid resistances of the two fixed orifices and the fluid resistances of the two nozzles.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-43882 JP-A-57-5102

  In recent years, there has been a significant demand for improved accuracy and resolution in positioning devices. For example, in an exposure apparatus for a semiconductor device, the minimum dimension of the semiconductor device is less than 100 nm. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy requirement of the semiconductor device is 10 nm or less, and the positioning accuracy for that purpose is 1 nm or less, that is, sub-nm. Further, the high speed is also required. It is expected to use a gas actuator for such a precision positioning device, a precision movement mechanism, and the like. That is, the moving mechanism using the gas pressure actuator generates less contamination than other mechanisms, does not generate electromagnetic noise, and has less vibration and noise.

  For this purpose, it is necessary to precisely control the gas pressure supplied to the gas actuator, but there is a limit in the nozzle flapper system in which the armature is rotationally driven by a torque motor of the prior art. For example, when the armature is rotated in the torque motor, the magnetic gap is changed by the rotation itself, hysteresis occurs in the movement of the armature, and the position of the armature becomes uncertain with respect to the drive signal. Therefore, there is a limit to the accuracy of gas pressure control by the nozzle flapper.

  In addition, when a fixed orifice is provided on the primary side of the nozzle and the gas is throttled by this fixed orifice, turbulent flow or vortex flow may occur. In particular, when handling high-pressure and high-speed gas, shock waves are generated from the edge of the orifice. (See, for example, Shirakura et al., “Mechanical Engineering Complete Book 12, Fluid Mechanics”, Corona Co., Ltd., July 1, 1982, First Printing, p181, p200, etc.). Such turbulent flow, vortex flow, particularly shock waves become noise with respect to the pressure of the gas after being squeezed by the orifice. Therefore, an error may occur in the operation of the bridge circuit, noise may be added to the output pressure of the nozzle flapper valve, or the operation may be unstable, and consequently the operation of the nozzle flapper valve may be affected.

  As described above, in the nozzle flapper system of the prior art, hysteresis may occur in driving the flapper, and noise such as a shock wave may be accompanied with the gas supplied to the nozzle. Therefore, when gas pressure is supplied to a gas actuator such as a precision positioning device or a precision movement mechanism using a nozzle flapper valve of the prior art, the accuracy of the gas pressure required by them may be insufficient.

  The objective of this invention is providing the nozzle flapper valve which can suppress a hysteresis in the drive of a flapper. Another object is to provide a nozzle flapper valve that can suppress noise in the output pressure. The means described below serve at least one of these purposes.

  A nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention includes a flapper that is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism, a nozzle that has a gas ejection opening toward the flapper, and a gas ejection that changes according to the distance between the flapper, A gas that is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side, throttles the gas and supplies the nozzle and load from the secondary side, and controls the movement of the flapper and is supplied to the load In a nozzle flapper valve that controls pressure, the drive mechanism has a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction and a coil to which a drive signal is inputted, and is driven in the axial direction in cooperation with the stator magnetic gap. The flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis of the flapper and allows movement in the axial direction, and the throttle device for the gas flow path is supplied to the primary side at one end. Have a mouth, A housing having a secondary output port at the end and a throttle part including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval along the gas flow direction, and without disturbing the gas flowing through the throttle part by the rectifying action of the parallel gap It is characterized by forming.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a diaphragm part is a diaphragm part in which a parallel clearance gap is formed by a parallel plate. The throttle portion includes a disk that is coaxial with the housing and has an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port. The housing has an inner wall on the supply port side that is parallel to the surface of the disk. Preferably, it is formed between the side inner wall and the surface on one side of the disk. The throttle portion includes a plurality of disks arranged coaxially with the housing and having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port. The plurality of disks are stacked at a predetermined interval and are arranged on the most downstream side as viewed from the supply port. The disk other than the plate is preferably a donut-shaped disk having a gas inlet at the center.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a spacer having a predetermined thickness for forming the parallel gap is disposed between the parallel plates in the diaphragm portion.

  Further, the nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention has a flapper that is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism, and a nozzle that has a gas ejection opening toward the flapper, and the gas ejection changes according to the distance between the flapper and the flapper. And a gas flow restricting device that supplies pressure gas from the primary side and supplies the pressure gas to the nozzle and the load from the secondary side, and supplies the load by controlling the movement of the flapper. In the nozzle flapper valve that controls the gas pressure, the flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis of the flapper and is free to move in the axial direction, and the throttle device for the gas flow path is supplied to one end A housing having a port and an output port at the other end; and a throttle unit including a plurality of pipes having a predetermined cross-sectional area provided in the housing and arranged in parallel along the gas flow direction. , And forming no disturbance of the gas flowing in the throttle section by the rectifying action of the road. In a nozzle flapper valve that does not require precise control, a normal orifice may be used at the throttle device in the above configuration.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the mover of the drive mechanism is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis and allows movement in the axial direction.

  The nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention preferably includes an offset spring that biases the flapper around an arbitrary offset position along the axial direction.

  The nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention preferably includes at least one of a displacement sensor for detecting the displacement of the flapper in the axial direction and a speed detection sensor for detecting the speed in the axial direction.

  Further, the nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention includes a bidirectional flapper having a forward flapper surface and a reverse flapper surface at both ends of a shaft body which is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism, and a gas toward the forward flapper surface. A forward nozzle that has a jet opening and the gas jet changes according to the distance from the forward flapper surface, and a gas jet opening toward the reverse flapper surface and between the reverse flapper surface The forward nozzle of the gas flow path in which the pressure gas is supplied from the primary side and the pressure gas is supplied from the primary side and supplied from the secondary side to the forward nozzle and the load. And a gas passage reverse throttle device that is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side and supplies the pressure gas to the reverse nozzle and load from the secondary side, and moves the bidirectional flapper. Control and forward In a nozzle flapper valve that controls the forward gas pressure supplied to the load from the throttle device and the reverse gas pressure supplied to the load from the reverse throttle device, the drive mechanism is a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction. And a mover that is driven in the axial direction in cooperation with the stator magnetic gap, and the bidirectional flapper has a shaft of the flapper at both ends of the shaft body. Each is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around it and allows axial movement freely. Each of the forward throttle device and the reverse throttle device for the gas flow path has a primary supply port at one end. And a housing having a secondary side output port at the other end, and a throttle part including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval along the gas flow direction, and gas flowing into the throttle part by a rectifying action of the parallel gap. Form without disturbance The features.

  Further, the nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention includes a bidirectional flapper having a forward flapper surface and a reverse flapper surface at both ends of a shaft body which is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism, and a gas toward the forward flapper surface. A jet nozzle that has a blow-off opening and the gas blow-out nozzle changes in accordance with the distance from the forward flapper surface, and a gas suction opening toward the reverse flapper surface, between the reverse flapper surface and A gas pressure that is supplied to the load by controlling the movement of the bidirectional flapper and supplying the gas ejected from the ejection nozzle to the suction nozzle and the load. In the nozzle flapper valve that controls the drive, the drive mechanism has a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction and a coil to which a drive signal is input, and the stator magnetic gap The bidirectional flapper is a radial that suppresses rotation around the axis of the flapper at both ends of the shaft body and allows axial movement freely. It is each supported by a support spring.

  With the above configuration, the flapper is driven to move in the axial direction by the drive mechanism including the stator magnetic gap and the mover arranged in the axial direction. This drive mechanism is sometimes called a so-called linear motor or force motor. The stator magnetic gap is arranged in the axial direction, which is the moving direction of the mover, and the magnetic gap does not fluctuate due to the movement of the mover, that is, the flapper. Therefore, hysteresis can be suppressed in driving the flapper.

  In addition, the flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis and enables movement in the axial direction. In other words, the flapper is supported by a radial spring so to speak, and can move only in the axial direction with a light load without sliding friction, friction of the rotating shaft, and the like. Therefore, the flapper can be driven with high accuracy and the output pressure can be controlled with high accuracy.

  Further, the gas throttle device provided on the primary side of the nozzle includes a throttle portion including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval in a housing having a supply port and an output port. The flowing gas is formed without disturbance. The gas formed without turbulence does not include turbulence and vortex, and does not generate shock waves. Therefore, noise of output pressure can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the parallel gap | interval by a parallel plate is used for an aperture_diaphragm | restriction part, the process which manufactures an aperture_diaphragm | restriction part is easy. Further, since the parallel gap is formed between the inner wall on the supply port side of the housing and the one side surface of the disk, it is easy to place the disk in the housing with a predetermined gap from the inner wall on the supply port side. It becomes the composition. Also, when stacking a plurality of disks coaxially with the housing, since the disks other than the most downstream disk are donut-shaped disks, the number of stacked donut-shaped disks of the same shape according to the required output pressure, output flow rate, etc. Can be set to obtain a diaphragm having desired characteristics.

  Further, by arranging spacers having a predetermined thickness between parallel flat plates, it is possible to obtain parallel gaps with a predetermined interval with a simple configuration.

  Further, the expansion device arranges a plurality of pipe lines having a predetermined cross-sectional area in parallel in a housing having a supply port and an output port. That is, the gas flow path is divided into a plurality of parallel gaps two-dimensionally over the cross-sectional area, and the gas flowing into the throttle portion is formed without any disturbance by the rectifying action as a plurality of pipes having a predetermined cross-sectional area. The gas formed without turbulence does not include turbulence and vortex, and does not generate shock waves. Therefore, noise of output pressure can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the mover of the drive mechanism is also supported by the radial support spring, even if the flapper or the flapper shaft and the mover move together in a straight line, they can be suspended in the air by a radial spring. It is supported and can move only in the axial direction with a light load without causing sliding friction or friction of the rotating shaft. Therefore, the flapper can be driven with high accuracy and the output pressure can be controlled with high accuracy.

  In addition, since an offset spring is provided, the flapper can be set to an arbitrary offset position, so that the neutral position or drive origin of the flapper can be set accurately, the flapper can be driven accurately, and the output pressure can be accurately controlled. .

  In addition, since the displacement sensor or speed detection sensor is provided for the movement of the flapper, displacement feedback and / or speed feedback can be fed back to the flapper, and the flapper can be driven accurately, and the output pressure can be accurately measured. It can be controlled well.

  In addition, when the flapper is a bidirectional flapper and both the forward gas pressure and the reverse gas pressure are supplied to the load, the flapper is driven by a drive mechanism including a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction and a mover. Is driven to move in the axial direction. Therefore, the magnetic gap does not change due to the movement of the mover, that is, the flapper, and hysteresis can be suppressed in driving the flapper. In addition, the flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis and enables movement in the axial direction. Therefore, the flapper is supported in a suspended manner by a radial spring, and can move only in the axial direction with a light load without sliding friction, friction of the rotating shaft, etc. Can be accurately controlled. Further, the gas throttle device provided on the primary side of the forward nozzle and the reverse nozzle includes a throttle portion including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval in a housing having a supply port and an output port. The gas flowing in the throttle portion is formed without turbulence by the rectifying action. Therefore, the gas formed without turbulence does not include turbulent flow and vortex flow, and does not generate a shock wave, and can suppress noise in the output pressure.

  Even when the flapper is a bidirectional flapper and exhausts from the suction nozzle facing the reverse flapper, the flapper is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism including a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction and a mover. . Therefore, the magnetic gap does not change due to the movement of the mover, that is, the flapper, and hysteresis can be suppressed in driving the flapper. In addition, the flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis and enables movement in the axial direction. Therefore, the flapper is supported in a suspended manner by a radial spring, and can move only in the axial direction with a light load without sliding friction, friction of the rotating shaft, etc. Can be accurately controlled.

  In the nozzle flapper valve using the bidirectional flapper, at least one of a displacement sensor and a speed detection sensor may be used.

  As described above, according to the nozzle flapper valve of the present invention, hysteresis can be suppressed in driving the flapper. Moreover, according to the nozzle flapper valve which concerns on this invention, the noise of output pressure can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The numerical values such as dimensions used in the following description are examples, and can be appropriately changed in consideration of the performance required for the nozzle flapper valve, the overall size, and the like.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining how the nozzle flapper valve 10 is used in the minute movement mechanism. First, an outline of how the gas pressure is controlled by the nozzle flapper valve 10 and supplied to the minute movement mechanism will be described, and then the detailed contents of the nozzle flapper valve 10 will be described.

The actuator 2 of the minute movement mechanism includes a guide part 4 and a movable body 6 guided by the guide part 4 in the axial direction. The movable body 6 has a stepped structure, and receives a gas pressure Pa controlled on the bottom side, which is the right side of the paper surface in FIG. _1, and receives a pressing pressure P1 separately supplied on the stepped surface. The pressing pressure urges and presses the movable body 6 in the −X direction of FIG.

Nozzle flapper valve 10 supplies a gas having a supply pressure Ps externally, under the control of the control unit 40, and outputs the adjusted gas desired gas pressure Pa, partially exhausts into the atmosphere P ₀ Function Is a control valve. The nozzle flapper valve 10 includes a linear motor 14, a flapper 22 that is driven and moved by the linear motor 14 in the axial direction that is the X direction in FIG. 1, and a nozzle 32 that is disposed with the opening facing the flapper 22. The gas having the gas pressure Pa is throttled by rectifying the gas flowing by the throttle device 100 in the gas flow path and supplied to the nozzle 32 and the load, that is, the actuator 2. That is, gas is ejected from the nozzle 32 toward the flapper 22.

  Here, when a drive signal is supplied from the control unit 40 to the linear motor 14, the linear motor 14 and the flapper 22 that moves integrally with the linear motor 14 move in the X direction. Then, the distance between the nozzle 32 and the flapper 22 changes, and the fluid resistance between the nozzle 32 and the flapper 22 changes. Therefore, the flow rate and gas pressure of the gas ejected from the nozzle 32 change, and the gas pressure Pa supplied to the load also changes accordingly. That is, the gas pressure Pa that is the output pressure can be adjusted by the drive signal to the linear motor 14. For example, if the linear motor 14 is moved in the −X direction, the ejection from the nozzle 32 is suppressed, and the gas pressure Pa, which is the output pressure, increases accordingly.

The adjusted gas pressure Pa is supplied to the actuator 2. Movable member 6 is so moved by the balance between the pressure P ₁ pressing the supplied gas pressure Pa, the higher the gas pressure Pa is in the above example, moves to the + X direction. In summary, the control unit 40 controls the drive signal to the linear motor 14, so that the gas pressure Pa is adjusted and output by the nozzle flapper valve 10, and this is used to move the movable body 6 in the actuator 2. You can control it.

Details of the nozzle flapper valve 10 are shown in FIG. Here, the supply pressure Ps from the gas supply source (not shown), the atmosphere P ₀ , and the gas pressure Pa that is the output pressure supplied to the load are shown as the same symbols as in FIG. The nozzle flapper valve 10 includes a linear motor 14, a flapper 22 that moves integrally with the linear motor 14, cloud springs 24 and 26 that support the linear motor 14 and the flapper 22, and a flapper 22. And a nozzle 32 for directing the ejection opening and a gas flow restriction device 100 for restricting a supply pressure Ps from a gas supply source (not shown) and supplying the nozzle 32 and a load. The linear motor 14 has a magnet 16 fixed to the housing 12, a moving body 18, and a coil 20 attached to the moving body 18, and the coil 20 is connected to the connection terminal 30 by a signal line 28. The connection terminal 30 is connected to the control unit 40 with a control cable or the like.

The casing 12 is a case body that houses the components of the nozzle flapper valve 10 inside and is airtight except for the supply port for the supply pressure Ps, the exhaust port for the atmosphere P ₀ , and the gas port for the load port for the gas pressure Pa. Can be obtained by assembling several blocks. In the example of FIG. 2, the cloud springs 24 and 26 are divided into three blocks so as to be easily attached. Such a housing 12 can be obtained by processing an appropriate metal block, assembling hermetically using an appropriate hermetic sealing, and fixing it with an appropriate fixing means. A material other than metal can be used as long as airtightness and robustness are satisfied. However, at least a portion constituting the yoke of the linear motor 14 needs to be a magnetic material.

  The linear motor 14 is a linear drive device including a stator magnetic gap disposed along the axial direction, that is, the X direction in FIG. 2, and a mover moving in the axial direction in the stator magnetic gap. Has a function of moving and driving in the axial direction. Specifically, an annular gap whose axial direction is the X direction is provided in a part of the housing 12 that is a magnetic body, and the magnet 16 is attached to one side of the gap. This makes the gap a stator magnetic gap arranged in the axial direction. The mover includes a moving body 18 having an annular portion that can move in the axial direction in the stator magnetic gap, and a coil 20 arranged in the axial direction on the annular portion of the moving body 18. The

  Due to the combination of the stator magnetic gap and the mover, when a driving current is passed through the coil 20, this current and the magnetic flux of the stator magnetic gap that links the coil 20 cooperate with each other in the coil 20. Axial driving force is applied. In such a structure, in general, the magnetic flux density in the stator magnetic gap does not change depending on the location in the axial direction. Therefore, as the coil 20 moves in the axial direction in the stator magnetic gap, there is no significant change in the cooperative action with the magnetic gap, and so-called hysteresis is hardly generated.

  The magnet 16 forms a stator magnetic gap and generates a magnetic flux interlinking with the coil 20. The magnet 16 may be formed in an annular shape in accordance with the above-described annular gap, or may be provided in a part of the annular gap so as to obtain a necessary torque. As such a magnet, a high-performance permanent magnet can be used. In order to attach the magnet 16 to the housing 12, an appropriate adhesive may be used, or the magnet 16 can be held only by the attractive force of the magnetic body and the magnet.

  The moving body 18 is a component on which a coil 20 that generates a driving force in cooperation with the stator magnetic gap is mounted and a flapper 22 is attached. The moving body 18 has a generally bowl shape, and the coil 20 is wound around the bowl-shaped annular side surface along the circumferential direction. A shaft body 19 is provided at the center of the bottom portion of the bowl shape so as to protrude parallel to the annular side surface of the bowl shape, and a flapper 22 is attached to the tip of the shaft body 19. The moving body 18 and the shaft body 19 can be obtained by molding using a metal or resin having appropriate strength. The movable body 18 and the shaft body 19 may be formed by integral molding or may be assembled separately. Further, if the required torque can be obtained, the moving body 18 may not be a complete annular shape, but may be wound around the coil 20 as a part of the annular shape.

  The coil 20 is formed by winding an insulated wire around the annular side surface of the moving body 18 a plurality of times circumferentially. The resistance, the number of turns, etc. of the wire are set together with the characteristics of the stator magnetic gap and the linear motor 14. It is set in terms of speed and responsiveness performance. Further, the lead wire of the coil 20 is appropriately wound along the annular side surface of the moving body 18 and then becomes a free end having sufficient deflection, and is connected to the connection terminal 30 via the air. . It is preferable to select the flexure and the flexibility of the conducting wire so that there is little influence on the high-speed movement and responsiveness of the moving body 18.

  The flapper 22 is a component having a gas receiving surface that faces the ejection opening of the nozzle 32 and receives the gas ejected from the nozzle 32. The flapper 22 is attached to the moving body 18 and can move in the axial direction together with the moving body 18. Then, by balancing the received gas ejection force and the axial thrust of the linear motor 14, the axial position of the flapper 22 is determined. Depending on the gas ejection state from the nozzle 32 at that position, the load is transferred to the load. The gas pressure Pa which is the output pressure is determined. The gas receiving surface is preferably perpendicular to the axial direction. Such a flapper can be obtained by processing or molding a suitable metal material or resin material. Moreover, it is good also as obtaining by shape | molding as an integral structure with the shaft body 19, or an integral structure with the moving body 18 and the shaft body 19.

  When the configuration around the moving body 18 is summarized, the coil 20 is wound around the annular portion of the moving body 18 in the circumferential direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the shaft body 19 is directed in the direction of the nozzle 32 along the annular central axis. A flapper 22 is provided at the tip of the shaft body 19 so that the gas receiving surface is perpendicular to the axial direction. Therefore, the moving body 18, the shaft body 19, and the flapper 22 move in the axial direction as a unit.

  Both ends of the moving body 18 (shaft body 18, shaft body 19, flapper 22) are supported by the housing 12 via cloud springs 24 and 26. A cloud spring is a leaf spring with a cloud slit, for example, on a thin plate. By connecting an object to the center and using a fixed end as the periphery, the rotation around the axis of the object can be restricted and axial movement is possible. Thus, it has a function as a radial support spring that can support an object.

  An example of a cloud spring is shown in FIG. Each of these cloud springs is provided with a plurality of annular or complex cloud slits by etching, press drilling, electric discharge machining or the like on a thin metal plate having spring properties. When the outer periphery of the cloud spring is fixed and the center axis is displaced, the slit shape is a displacement around the axis, that is, a displacement around the axis, that is, a rigidity against a linear displacement in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. It is devised to increase the rigidity against rotational displacement in the plane of FIG. In the example of FIG. 3, the plate thickness, outer diameter, and material are the same, and in a static state, that is, when the displacement in the axial direction is small, FIG. 3A is about 110 times, and FIG. The rigidity difference of 80 times and FIG. 3C can be obtained about 60 times. Therefore, by selecting an appropriate slit shape, for example, FIG. 3B, according to the required accuracy, it is possible to suppress unnecessary torsional vibration or the like of the moving body 18 or the like.

  The center portions of the cloud springs 24 and 26 are attached to the front end side and the rear end side of the shaft body 19, and the respective outer peripheral portions are fixed to the housing 12 so that the cloud springs 24 and 26 are not deformed. To do. By doing so, the shaft body 19 is supported by the cloud springs 24 and 26 in a suspended manner at both ends, and the rotation of the shaft around the axis is suppressed by the characteristics of the cloud springs 24 and 26, and the axial movement is compared to this. Can be done freely. Therefore, the load can be reduced and the flapper 22 can be moved in the axial direction compared to support by sliding or support by a rotary bearing.

  Returning to FIG. 2 again, the nozzle 32 is a cylindrical element whose opening at the front end is narrowed compared to the opening at the rear end, and the gas supplied to the rear end opening is squeezed and ejected as a narrow flow from the opening at the front end. It has a diaphragm function. The gas flow direction of the nozzle 32 is taken in the axial direction, and more specifically, is set coaxially with the central axis of the linear motor 14. Therefore, according to the configuration of FIG. 2, the central axis of the nozzle 32 is coaxial with the central axes of the flapper 22 and the shaft body 19. The nozzle 32 can be obtained by processing a metal material or the like.

Next to the relationship between the nozzle 32 and the flapper 22, the gas flow inside the nozzle flapper valve 10 will be described. The nozzle flapper valve 10 has three gas access ports on the outer wall of the housing 12. One is a supply port 34 or a supply port to which gas adjusted to a constant high supply pressure Ps is supplied from a gas supply source (not shown). The exhaust port 36 or exhaust port spent gases released into the atmosphere P ₀ is provided in the nozzle flapper valve 10. The other is a load port 38 or a load port that outputs the gas pressure Pa adjusted by the cooperative action of the nozzle 32 and the flapper 22 and supplies the gas pressure Pa to the load.

  The relationship between the gas flow and each port is as follows. The gas having the supply pressure Ps from the supply port 34 is supplied to the primary side of the expansion device 100 in the gas flow path. The detailed contents of the gas channel throttle device 100 will be described later. The secondary side of the expansion device 100 in the gas flow path is connected to the opening at the rear end of the nozzle 32 and to the load port 38. The gas ejected from the opening at the tip of the nozzle 32 and hitting the flapper 22 is guided to the exhaust port 36 as used. That is, the gas from the secondary side of the expansion device 100 in the gas flow path is supplied in parallel to the nozzle 32 and the load ahead of the load port 38. Therefore, the gas pressure Pa, which is the output pressure of the load port 38, changes according to the state of ejection from the nozzle 32, that is, the interval between the nozzle 32 and the flapper 22. By utilizing this, as described above, the position of the flapper 22 in the axial direction can be changed by driving the linear motor 14, the ejection from the nozzle 32 can be changed, and the gas pressure Pa can be controlled to a desired value.

(Gas channel restrictor)
The throttle device 100 of the gas flow path is a throttle device having a parallel gap inside, and has a function of rectifying the gas flow by the gas flowing through the parallel gap and outputting the gas flow to the secondary side without any disturbance. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion device 100 incorporated in the nozzle flapper valve 10. The throttle device 100 is incorporated in a block in the casing 12 of the nozzle flapper valve 10 and is accommodated in the upper lid block 110, the lower case block 120, the O-ring 130, and the lower case block 120, which are part of the casing 12. And a diaphragm 140.

  The upper lid block 110 and the lower case block 120 have a function of a housing that holds the throttle portion 140 together with the O-ring 130, supplies the primary pressure gas, and outputs the gas supplied to the secondary nozzle flapper and the load. . The upper lid block 110 and the lower case block 120 are made of a material having sufficient strength to form a high-pressure gas circuit, and machining suitable for obtaining a desired gas holding property, for example, precision hole machining, precision surface, is used for the material. It can be obtained by processing.

  The upper lid block 110 has a flat mating surface 112, and a primary-side pressure gas channel 114 is provided therein, and the channel 114 opens at the mating surface 112. This opening serves as a supply port for the primary pressure gas to the throttle unit 140.

  The lower case block 120 has a flat mating surface 122 corresponding to the mating surface 112 of the upper lid block 110, and a secondary-side pressure gas channel 124 is provided therein. The lower case block 120 is provided with a cylindrical concave portion 126 for accommodating the throttle portion 140 and a concave portion 128 for accommodating the O-ring. On the bottom surface of the cylindrical recess 126, a flow path 124 for the secondary pressure gas is opened, and this opening serves as an output port for the secondary pressure gas from the throttle 140. As shown in FIG. 4, the recess 128 for accommodating the O-ring is provided near the mating surface 122 and outside the cylindrical recess 126. When the mating surface 122 is disposed inside and tightly fixed to the mating surface 112 of the upper lid block 110, the O-ring 130 is set to a size that can be deformed to sufficiently exhibit the airtight function. That is, in order to prevent gas leakage between the outer peripheral portion of the narrowed portion 140 and the lower case block 120, and to prevent gas leakage between the mating surface 122 of the lower case block 120 and the mating surface 112 of the upper lid block 110. The size is set such that sufficient deformation is possible.

  The restricting portion 140 is a part of the gas circuit, and has a function of restricting the primary-side pressure gas and forming the gas flowing at that time without disturbance. Specifically, it is composed of a gap forming lid 142, a gap holding base 144, and an outer ring 146, which are combined with each other and housed in the lower case block 120 as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 to FIG. 9 show perspective views of the elements constituting the aperture unit 140 and how the elements are combined. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state where the throttle unit 140 is housed in the lower case block 120. With these elements, the gas flow path is like “flow path 114 of the upper lid block 110—through hole 150—parallel gap 152—outer window portion 154—inner window portion 156—hole 158—flow passage 124 of the lower case block 120”. The gas is squeezed in the parallel gap 152 and formed without any disturbance.

In the gas flow path other than the parallel gap 152, the size of the flow path is set so that the fluid resistance is negligible compared to the fluid resistance in the parallel gap 152. For example, when the pressure of the primary side pressure gas is 5 × 10 ⁵ Pa and the flow velocity is 30 m / sec, and this is reduced to a laminar flow with a flow velocity of 300 m / sec and output to the secondary side, as an example, parallel It is preferable that the gap 152 has a gap of about 50 μm, a length of about 5 to 10 mm, and a gas flow path other than the parallel gap 152 has a dimension of about several mm.

  The gap forming lid 142 shown in FIG. 5 is a ring having a through hole 150 in the center, and the upper surface is a surface facing the mating surface 112 of the upper lid block 110, and the lower surface is a surface facing the gap holding base 144. Therefore, the throttle unit 140 has a function of guiding the primary pressure gas to the gap holding base 144 through the through hole 150. In the above example, the gap forming lid 142 can have an outer diameter of about 10 mm, a thickness of about 2 mm, and a through hole 150 having a diameter of about 3 mm.

  The gap holding base 144 shown in FIG. 6 is a member including an upper disk portion 162, a lower ring portion 164 of the disk portion 162, and four support legs 166 that connect the disk portion 162 and the ring portion 164. It is. The outer diameter is about 10 mm, which is the same size as the outer diameter of the gap forming lid 142. Further, the overall height of the gap holding base 144 can be about 4 mm, and the thickness of the disk portion 162 can be about 0.8 mm. The gap holding base 144 may be formed by integrally forming the disk portion 162, the supporting leg portion 166, and the ring portion 164 by machining or the like, or may be an assembly in which these are individually manufactured and combined.

  The disk portion 162 includes four partial fan-shaped portions 168 on the upper surface side. The four partial fan-shaped portions 168 have an outer diameter of about 10 mm, which is the same as the diameter of the disk portion 162, and an inner diameter of about 3 mm, which is the same as the diameter of the through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142. The upper surface of the partial fan-shaped portion 168 is a surface that contacts the lower surface of the gap forming lid 142, and the height thereof can be about 50 μm in the above example. This step of about 50 μm can be obtained by machining. Therefore, from another viewpoint, the upper surface side of the disk portion 162 has a cylindrical concave portion 170 that is approximately 50 μm lower than the surrounding partial fan-shaped portion 168 in the central portion, and from the concave portion 170 toward the outer periphery, it is also approximately 50 μm. Four concave portions 172 spreading in a low radial shape are provided.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the upper surface of the gap holding base 144 and the lower surface of the gap forming lid 142 are combined and the gap between the concave portion of the disk portion 162 and the lower surface of the gap forming lid 142 is about 50 μm. It can be seen that four parallel gaps 152 are formed. The through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142 communicates with the parallel gap 152 via a cylindrical recess 170 in the center of the disk portion 162.

  The ring portion 164 is a ring having the same outer diameter, inner diameter, and height as the gap forming lid 142. In the above example, the outer diameter can be about 10 mm, the inner diameter can be about 3 mm, and the height can be about 2 mm. Each support leg 166 has an outer diameter, an inner diameter, and a sector shape corresponding to each segment sector portion 168, and the height thereof can be about 1.2 mm in the above example. Accordingly, from another viewpoint, the ring portion 164 and each support leg portion 166 are provided at the bottom of the disk portion 162 and at the positions corresponding to the four parallel gaps 152 on the upper surface side of the disk portion 162. The inner window portion 156 is opened from the outer periphery of the gap holding base 144 toward the inside, and further, the lower portion of the disk portion 162 is abutted inside, and the lower surface of the ring portion 164 Is provided with a hole 158 having an opening. The diameter of the hole 158 is the same as the diameter of the through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142 as described above.

  The outer ring 146 shown in FIG. 8 has a height obtained by adding the height of the gap forming lid 142 to the height of the gap holding base 144 and corresponds to the inner diameter of the cylindrical recess 126 in the lower case block 120. The ring has an outer diameter and an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the gap forming lid 142 and the gap holding base 144. In the above example, the height can be about (4 + 2) = 6 mm, the inner diameter can be about 10 mm, and the outer diameter can be about 12 mm. On the outer periphery of the ring, four outer window portions 154 are provided corresponding to the parallel gap 152 and the inner window portion 156 formed when the gap forming lid 142 and the gap holding base 144 are combined. The size of each outer window 154 is set to a size that allows the parallel gap 152 and the inner window 156 to be sufficiently expected. In the above example, the inner window portion 156 has a height of about 1.2 mm, and the disc portion 162 has a thickness of about 0.8 mm. Therefore, the outer window portion 154 has a height of about (1.2 mm + 0.8 mm). = 2mm which is sufficiently larger than 2mm.

  In FIG. 9, the gap holding base 144 is housed inside the outer ring 146, the gap forming lid 142 is installed thereon, and each outer window 154 is desired to have a corresponding inner window 156 and parallel gap 152. It is a figure which shows the state positioned and arrange | positioned in a position, The thing of this assembly state is the aperture | diaphragm | squeeze part 140. FIG.

  The throttle unit 140 is accommodated in the lower case block 120 as shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 10, the outer windows 154 of the throttle 140 are respectively covered by the inner wall of the cylindrical recess that houses the throttle 140 of the lower case block 120, and the outer windows 154 are respectively covered. Is not an open end but a closed flow path. Thus, a flow path of “parallel gap 152 -outer window portion 154 -inner window portion 156 -hole 158” is formed. Therefore, the upper cover block 110 is firmly aligned with the lower case block 120 via the O-ring 130, so that the gas flow path becomes “the flow path 114 of the upper cover block 110—the through hole 150—the parallel gap 152—the outer window portion 154—the inner side. A window portion 156-a hole 158-a flow path 124 of the lower case block 120 "is configured.

  In this manner, the primary pressure gas supplied to the flow path 114 passes through this gas flow path and is throttled in the parallel gap 152. Since this parallel gap 152 is a gap of about 50 μm and has a length of several mm, the gas flowing therethrough is formed without any disturbance by the rectifying action, and is supplied to the secondary nozzle flapper valve. Further, since the parallel gap 152 is formed by the four concave portions 172 that radiate from the cylindrical concave portion 170 in the central portion of the disc portion 162 toward the outer peripheral side of the disc portion 162, the flow does not rapidly expand. It spreads gradually and can be made a smoother flow. The gas formed without turbulence in this way does not include turbulent flow and vortex flow, and does not generate shock waves. Therefore, in the expansion device 100, noise in the output pressure of the high pressure gas can be suppressed.

  As described above, in the diaphragm device 100 of FIG. 4, the parallel gap 152 is formed between the lower surface of the gap forming lid 142 and the concave portion 172 that radiates out of the upper surface of the gap holding base 144. The predetermined interval of the parallel gap 152, about 50 μm in the above example, uses a step between the partial fan-shaped portion 168 and the concave portion 172 on the upper surface of the gap holding base 144, and a gap forming lid is formed on the upper surface of the partial fan-shaped portion 168. It is ensured by contacting the lower surface of 142. The step for securing the parallel gap 152 can be obtained by machining or the like on the upper surface of the gap holding base 144 as described above, but a spacer can also be used.

  11-13 is a figure which shows a mode that the parallel clearance gap 152 is formed using the spacer 400 to which the four small sector parts are tied in the center. Elements common to FIGS. 4 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. FIG. 11 is a view showing the spacer 400 having a thickness of about 50 μm. The diameter connecting the four small fan-shaped outer shapes of the spacer 400 is set to be the same as the diameter of the gap holding base 444. Further, the size of the central joint is set sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142. The spacer 400 can be obtained by etching, precision pressing, or electric discharge machining of a metal plate having a predetermined thickness.

  The gap holding base 444 has the same configuration except that there is no partial fan-shaped portion 168 in the disk portion 162 above the gap holding base 144 described with reference to FIG. That is, the gap holding base 144 is different from the gap holding base 144 of FIG. 6 in that the upper surface of the disk portion 462 of the gap holding base 444 is flat. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the spacer 400 is combined with the gap holding base 444 having a flat upper surface. The spacer 400 is disposed on the flat upper surface of the disk portion 462 so that the small fan-shaped outer shape matches the outer shape of the upper disk portion 462 of the gap holding base 444. Thus, the non-fan-shaped portion 472 of the spacer 400 is lowered by about 50 μm when viewed from the upper surface of the spacer 400.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the gap forming lid 142 is disposed on the spacer 400 and the parallel gap 152 is formed. The parallel gap 152 is formed corresponding to the portion 472 of the spacer 400 having no small fan shape. With this configuration, the gas flow path is formed as “-through hole 150—parallel gap 152 corresponding to the non-fan-shaped portion 472 of the spacer 400—the outer window portion 154 described with reference to FIG.

  In the gap holding base 144 of FIG. 6, the highest precision is required for processing the four recesses 172. On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the gap holding base 444 only needs to be processed to have a sufficiently flat upper surface, and the parallel gap 152 requiring accuracy only manages the thickness of the spacer 400. It's okay. Therefore, the predetermined parallel gap 152 can be easily obtained without requiring complicated processing.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the spacer 410 having another shape. In this example, four straight arms are connected at the center. The thickness of the spacer 410 corresponds to a predetermined interval of the parallel gap, the diameter connecting the outer shapes of the four arm portions is set to be the same as the diameter of the gap holding base 444, and the size of the joint portion at the center is It is the same as the spacer 400 in FIG. 11 that it is set to be sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example in which four partial fan-shaped spacers 420 are used and are arranged on the flat upper surface of the gap holding base 444 by pasting or the like. In this case, the thickness of each spacer 420 corresponds to a predetermined interval of the parallel gap, and when the four spacers 420 are arranged in accordance with the outer shape of the gap holding base 444, the portion without the partial fan shape in the central portion is It is preferable to substantially correspond to the diameter of the through hole 150 of the gap forming lid 142.

  16-18 is a figure which shows a mode that the parallel gap 152 is formed using the spacer 500 in which the four small fan-shaped parts are connected by the outer peripheral part. Elements common to FIGS. 4 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. When using the spacer 500 to which the outer peripheral portion is connected, since the gas flow channel flows from the center side toward the outside of the spacer 500, the outer shape of the upper disk portion 562 of the gap holding base 544 needs to be devised. That is, the upper surface of the upper disk portion 562 is flat, the same as the disk portion 462 of the gap holding base 444 described with reference to FIG. 12, but the radial dimension of the disk portion 462 is partially different. That is, the portion corresponding to the four small fan-shaped portions of the spacer 500 is the same as the outer diameter of the spacer 500, but in the portion where the small fan-shaped portion of the spacer 500 is not present, in order to secure a gas flow path, The dimensions are small.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the spacer 500 is disposed on the gap holding base 544. As shown in detail in FIG. 18, the spacer 500 has four small fan-shaped portions connected at the outer peripheral portion. The thickness corresponds to the interval between the parallel gaps, and is about 50 μm in the above example. The upper disk portion 562 of the gap holding base 544 has a portion 572 where the spacer 500 does not have four small fan portions, the outer diameter 574 of which is smaller than the other portion, and the spacer 500 does not have four small fan portions. An opening 576 is formed in the downward direction at the outer peripheral side. This opening 576 ensures a gas flow path.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the gap forming lid 142 is disposed on the spacer 500 and the parallel gap 152 is formed. The parallel gap 152 is formed corresponding to the portion 572 of the spacer 500 having no small fan shape. With this configuration, the gas flow path is formed as “-the through hole 150 -the parallel gap 152 corresponding to the non-fan-shaped portion 572 of the spacer 500 -the opening 576 -the inner window portion 156 described with reference to FIG. 4". The

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the spacer 500, the outer shape of the upper disk portion 562, and the through hole 150. As described above, the spacer 500 has four small fan-shaped portions, the outer periphery thereof is connected by a thin ring-shaped portion, and the portion without the small fan-shaped portion in the center portion has a size corresponding to the diameter of the through hole 150. Set to The outer shape of the upper disk portion 562 is set to be the same as the outer diameter of the spacer 500 where it corresponds to the small fan-shaped portion of the spacer 500, and is set to a smaller diameter when there is no small fan-shaped portion. The gap s between the inner side of the ring portion of the spacer and the outer shape of the upper disk portion 562 is set to be sufficiently larger than the interval of the parallel gap. In the above example, for example, s = about 1-2 mm.

  Thus, by using a spacer having an appropriate shape, it is possible to easily obtain a predetermined parallel gap without requiring complicated and high-precision processing of the upper surface of the gap holding base. In the above description, the four parallel gaps are formed by the spacers. However, the number is not limited to four, and may be less or more.

  In the above description, the throttling device has been described as being incorporated in the main body block of the precision pneumatic nozzle flapper valve. That is, the aperture portion of the aperture device is disposed in a storage space between the lower case block and the upper lid block forming a part of the main body block, and the lower case block and a part of the upper lid block function as a housing for storing the aperture portion. have. In addition to this, it is possible to configure a diaphragm device by arranging a throttle section inside an independent housing. FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 are schematic views showing a throttling device having a configuration in which a disc is disposed in an independent housing and a parallel gap is provided between the inner wall of the housing and the disc to form a flow without disturbance. is there.

  19 has a disk 208 disposed inside a housing 206 having a supply port 202 at one end and an output port 204 at the other end. The disk 208 is arranged coaxially with the housing 206 and has an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port 202. The housing 206 has a supply port side inner wall 210 parallel to the upper surface of the disk 208. A parallel gap 212 between the supply port side inner wall 210 of the housing 206 and the upper surface of the disk 208 is set to about 50 μm, for example. In order to install the disk 208 in the housing 206 under such conditions, an appropriate support or spacer not shown can be used. By setting the parallel gap 212 and setting the length of the parallel gap 212 of the disk to about several millimeters, the gas flowing therethrough can be formed without disturbance by the rectifying action of the parallel gap 212.

  The diaphragm device 220 in FIG. 20 has three disks 228, 230, and 232 arranged inside a housing 226 having a supply port 222 at one end and an output port 224 at the other end. Each disk 228, 230, 232 is arranged coaxially with the housing 226 and has an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port 222. The disk 232 arranged on the most downstream side when viewed from the supply port 222 is a disk, and the other disks 228 and 230 are donut-shaped disks having an opening 234 having the same size as the supply port 222 at the center. is there. The parallel gaps 236, 238 between the disks 228, 230, 232 are set to about 50 μm, respectively. The housing 226 has a supply port side inner wall 240 parallel to the upper surface of the disk 228. The gap of the parallel gap 242 between the supply port side inner wall 240 of the housing 226 and the upper surface of the disk 228 is also set to about 50 μm. By setting the length of each parallel gap 236, 238, 242 to about several millimeters, the gas flowing therethrough can be formed without disturbance by the rectifying action of each parallel gap 236, 238, 242. It is possible to further increase the number of donut-shaped disks and increase the number of parallel gaps.

  In the above description, the gap between the parallel plates is used to form the flow without any disturbance. However, the gap between the parallel plates may not be used to form the flow without any disturbance. FIG. 21 to FIG. 24 are schematic views showing the configuration of other diaphragm portions. 21 has a plurality of pipes 252 having different diameters arranged coaxially, a gap between the pipes being a parallel gap, the gap being, for example, about 50 μm, and a length of several mm. . 22 is composed of a spirally wound tube 262, and the adjacent gaps of the spiral pipes are parallel gaps, for example, the gap is about 50 μm, and the length is several mm. A diaphragm unit 270 shown in FIG. 23 has a plurality of parallel flat plates 272 arranged in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the diaphragm unit 270, a gap between the parallel flat plates is set to, for example, about 50 μm, and a length thereof is several mm. is there.

  As in these configurations, if the flow path has a length of several millimeters with a gap of about 50 μm, the flow can be formed without disturbance. For example, in FIG. 23, a plurality of parallel flat plates are arranged in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the diaphragm portion 270, but the section of the diaphragm portion is divided into a plurality of sections, and the size of each divided small cross-sectional area is set to a predetermined value. The size may be, for example, 50 μm square. The cross-sectional shape may be a polygon. The throttle unit 280 shown in FIG. 24 has a circular cross section, that is, a plurality of elongated pipes 282 having a diameter of about 50 μm are bundled to form a throttle unit.

  In the above description, the size of the gap is about 50 μm and the length is several mm. However, the size of the gap and the length of the gap that can prevent the gas flowing therethrough from being disturbed are the pressure of the gas flowing therethrough. The above value is an example, depending on the flow rate and the like.

The operation of the nozzle flapper valve 10 having such a configuration will be described. Here, when the drive signal is not given from the control unit 40 to the linear motor 14, the linear motor 14 is at an initial position in the axial direction due to the balance of the cloud springs 24 and 26. When the gas having the supply pressure Ps is supplied to the supply port 34 of the nozzle flapper valve 10 from a gas supply source (not shown) and the exhaust port 36 is opened to the atmosphere P ₀ , the gas having the supply pressure Ps is supplied to the gas flow path. The gas flowing by the expansion device 100 is rectified and throttled, and distributed and supplied to the nozzle 32 and the load. Therefore, the nozzle 32 and the load port 38 are rectified and supplied with noise-free gas such as turbulent flow, vortex flow, or shock wave. An uncontrolled gas pressure is output to the load port 38 at this time.

  Next, in order to operate the actuator 2 as a load, when a command for supplying the necessary gas pressure Pa from the load port 38 is issued to the control unit 40, the control unit 40 outputs the desired gas pressure Pa. The required drive current value I to the linear motor 14 is read using a predetermined table or software. Then, it instructs the drive circuit to supply a current having a drive current value I to the coil 20 of the linear motor 14 via the connection terminal 30. The coil 20 through which the current I flows cooperates with the interlinkage magnetic flux from the stator magnetic gap formed by the casing 12 and the magnet 16 constituting the yoke, and obtains an axial driving force. Thereby, the flapper 22 integrated with the moving body 18 of the linear motor 14 is driven to move in the axial direction according to the current I.

  In accordance with the movement, the axial interval between the flapper 22 and the nozzle 32 changes, thereby changing the rate of distribution from the gas flow restrictor 100 to the nozzle 32 and the load. That is, the output pressure from the load port 38 changes. Since the control unit 40 stores in advance the relationship between the drive current I and the gas pressure Pa after the change, the predetermined gas current Pa is applied to the load port 38 by applying the predetermined drive current I. Is output.

  As described above, since the interval between the flapper 22 and the nozzle 32 is changed by the linear motor 14, hysteresis can be suppressed in driving the flapper, and rectification is performed using the throttle device 100 on the gas flow path surface. Since gas is supplied to the nozzle 32 and the load, noise in the output pressure of the load port 38 can be suppressed.

  In the above, the neutral position of the linear motor 14, that is, the stable position in the axial direction when the drive signal is not supplied from the control unit 40 is determined by the attachment relationship of the two cloud springs 24 and 26. Therefore, the neutral position of the flapper 22 is also determined by the mounting relationship of the two cloud springs 24 and 26. Since the interval between the flapper 22 and the nozzle 32 greatly affects the operation of the nozzle flapper valve 10, it is preferable that this interval can be adjusted. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example of a nozzle flapper valve 50 that can adjust the neutral position of the flapper 22 and set it to an arbitrary offset position. Elements common to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the nozzle flapper valve 50, the nozzle flapper valve 10 described in FIG. 1 is further provided with a pair of offset springs 52 and 54 and a zero point adjusting screw 56 that can adjust the biasing force of the offset springs 52 and 54. . The pair of offset springs 52 and 54 are springs provided so that the urging force in the axial direction is balanced and applied to both ends of the central shaft of the linear motor 14, specifically to both ends of the shaft body 19. As the offset springs 52 and 54, suitable coil springs can be used. Biasing means such as a leaf spring other than the coil spring may be used. In the example of FIG. 25, a compression coil spring between the flapper 22 at the tip of the shaft body 19 and the housing 12 is used as one offset spring 52, and the other offset spring 54 is disposed behind the shaft body 19. A compression coil spring is used between the end moving body 18 and the tip of the zero point adjusting screw 56 screwed into the housing 12. The offset springs are not limited to a pair, but may be a single spring that balances the neutral position of the shaft body.

  The zero point adjusting screw 56 changes the overall length of the offset springs 52 and 54 by adjusting the amount screwed into the housing 12, and thereby the flapper 22 can be set to an arbitrary offset position in the axial direction. It is a screw which has. Here, the zero point has a stronger meaning of the zero point of the operating point of the nozzle flapper valve 10 than the meaning of the geometric origin in the X direction. That is, the operating point can be optimally set by the zero point adjusting screw 56 after the nozzle flapper valve 10 is assembled.

  In the above description, the control of the nozzle flapper valve 10 has been described as a drive signal from the control unit 40 to the linear motor 14. That is, the gas pressure Pa is controlled in an open loop. In order to make this more accurate control, the displacement or speed of the flapper 22 in the axial direction is detected, and this is fed back to the control unit 40, and the control unit 40 performs feedback control such as position control and speed control. It is desirable. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a nozzle flapper valve 60 that uses a displacement sensor 62 that can feed back position information of the flapper 22 in the axial direction to the control unit 40. Elements common to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The nozzle flapper valve 60 further includes a displacement sensor 62 for detecting the axial displacement of the flapper 22 and a connection terminal 68 for connecting the sensor input / output to the control unit 40 in addition to the nozzle flapper valve 10 described in FIG. It is provided.

  As the displacement sensor 62, a differential transformer type can be used. That is, the rear end of the shaft body 19 provided with the flapper 22 at the front end is further extended, the soft magnetic probe 64 is attached to the tip, and the transformer winding 66 cooperating therewith is provided on the housing 12 side. In addition to extending the shaft body 19, the soft magnetic probe 64 may be attached to the moving body 18 so as to be coaxial with the shaft body 19. In any case, the magnetic probe 64 moves in the axial direction integrally with the flapper 22, and a signal corresponding to the insertion length of the transformer winding 66 into the cavity is output from the transformer winding 66. Since each terminal of the transformer winding 66 is connected to the control unit 40 via the connection terminal 68, necessary operating conditions are supplied from the control unit 40, and a signal corresponding to the axial displacement of the soft magnetic probe 64 is It is output to the control unit 40.

  In addition, an optical position detection sensor or the like may be used. In order to detect the speed, for example, a search coil that moves integrally with the linear motor 14 can be provided, and the speed of the linear motor 14 can be obtained from the output thereof. Both position detection and speed detection may be performed and fed back to the control unit 40, or acceleration may be further fed back.

  As described above, since the motion information of the flapper 22 is detected and supplied to the control unit 40, the control unit 40 can perform feedback control such as displacement, speed, acceleration, and the like, and can precisely control the gas pressure Pa. become.

  In FIG. 1, one type of adjusted gas pressure Pa is supplied from the nozzle flapper valve 10 to the actuator 2. Some actuators have two gas chambers and require two types of control gas pressures. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a nozzle flapper valve 70 that can output two types of gas pressures Pa and Pb with respect to a load. Elements common to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The nozzle flapper valve 70 is obtained by adding another flapper 72 and another nozzle 74 to the nozzle flapper valve 10 described in FIG. The other flapper 72 is provided on the rear end side of the shaft body 19 provided with the flapper 22 at the tip. Specifically, a gas receiving surface is provided at the rear end of the shaft body 19 to which the cloud spring 26 is attached or the rear end of the moving body 18, and this is used as another flapper 72. The ejection opening of another nozzle 74 faces the gas receiving surface of the flapper 72.

  As described above, the two flappers 22 and 72 that are integrally moved by the one linear motor 14 are provided, and the two nozzles 32 and 74 are provided correspondingly. As shown in FIG. 27, the interval between the flapper 22 and the nozzle 32 already described in FIG. 2 is narrowed when the linear motor 14 moves in the + X direction along the axial direction. On the other hand, the newly provided flapper 72 and nozzle 74 are arranged so that the distance between them becomes narrower when moving in the −X direction. In other words, the direction of the gas receiving surface of the flapper 22 and the direction of the gas receiving surface of the flapper 72 are opposite to each other in the axial direction, and the gas ejection direction of the nozzle 32 and the gas ejection direction of the nozzle 74 are A flapper 72 and a nozzle 74 are newly added to the configuration of FIG. 2 so as to be opposite to each other in the axial direction.

  Thus, since the two flappers 22, 72 or the two nozzles 32, 74 are not provided independently of each other, it is noted that the axial movement or the change in the gap is opposite to each other. One can be referred to as a forward flapper (22) and a forward nozzle (32), and the other can be referred to as a reverse flapper (72) and a reverse nozzle (74). Further, since a single linear motor 14 is provided with flappers having different directions, a set of the forward flapper (22) and the reverse flapper (72) can also be referred to as a bidirectional flapper.

  In contrast to FIG. 2, the reverse nozzle (74) newly added in FIG. 27 is the same as the forward nozzle (32), its central axis is aligned with the central axis of the shaft body 19, and the direction of the ejection opening is + X. It is attached to the housing 12 in the direction, that is, toward the flapper 72.

  The nozzle flapper valve 70 has five gas access ports on the outer wall of the housing 12. Three of them relate to the forward nozzle (32) and the forward flapper (22) as described in FIG. 2, and output the supply port 34, the exhaust port 36, and the gas pressure Pa to supply to the load. It is a load port 38. The other two are related to the reverse nozzle (74) and the reverse flapper (72), and one is a supply port 76 to which gas adjusted to a constant high pressure supply pressure Ps is supplied. The supply pressure Ps can be supplied from the same gas supply source in the same manner as the supply port 34 described. The other is a second load port 78 that outputs the gas pressure Pb adjusted by the cooperative action of the reverse nozzle (74) and the reverse flapper (72) and supplies it to the load.

  Here, the gas of the supply pressure Ps from the supply port 76 is supplied to the primary side of the expansion device 100 of the gas flow path, and the secondary side is connected to the opening at the rear end of the reverse nozzle (74). And connected to the second load port 78. The same device as described in FIG. 2 can be used as the gas flow path throttle device 100. That is, here too, the gas from the secondary side of the gas flow restrictor 100 is parallel to the nozzle 32 and the load, as in the cooperative action of the forward nozzle (32) and the forward flapper (22). Accordingly, the gas pressure Pb supplied to the load varies depending on the state of ejection from the reverse nozzle (74), that is, the distance between the reverse nozzle (74) and the reverse flapper (72).

  When the distance between the forward nozzle (32) and the forward flapper (22) and the distance between the backward nozzle (74) and the backward flapper (72) are the same, the neutral position of the linear motor 14 is To do. At this time, if other conditions are the same for the forward direction and the reverse direction, the gas pressure Pa of the load port 38 = the gas pressure Pb of the load port 78. Next, when the linear motor 14 moves ΔX in the + X direction, the gas pressure Pa of the load port 38 and the gas pressure Pb of the load port 78 change. The amount of change is the same as that of other conditions, but the sign is reversed with the same amount. That is, if the gas pressure at the load port 38 changes by + Δp, the gas pressure at the load port 78 changes by −Δp.

  In this way, by using the bidirectional flapper and the nozzle facing the two, it is possible to output two types of precisely adjusted gas pressures Pa and Pb having a certain relationship with the load.

  FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a bidirectional flapper is used in the nozzle flapper valve 80 using the linear motor 14 and the number of gas input / output ports is three. Elements common to those in FIG. 27 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In this nozzle flapper valve 80, the forward flapper (22), the forward nozzle (32), the backward flapper (72), and the backward nozzle (74) are the same as in FIG. The flow of gas and the gas input / output port are different. That is, as a gas input / output port, a supply port 82 to which a gas adjusted to a constant high supply pressure Ps is supplied from a gas supply source (not shown), and an exhaust for releasing used gas to the atmosphere P _0. Three ports 84 and a load port 86 that outputs gas pressure Pa adjusted by the cooperative action of the forward nozzle (32) and the forward flapper (22) and supplies the gas pressure Pa to the load are provided.

  And the gas which has the supply pressure Ps from the supply port 82 is supplied to a forward direction nozzle (32), and the gas spouted from the forward direction nozzle (32) according to the space | interval with a forward direction flapper (22) is a reverse direction. The gas is supplied in parallel to the exhaust port 84 at the tip of the nozzle (74) and the load at the tip of the load port 86. Therefore, the reverse nozzle (74) has a function of sucking gas, which is a so-called suction nozzle. The suction of gas in the suction nozzle (74) changes according to the distance from the reverse flapper (72). As described above, the movement of the linear motor 14 controls the ejection of gas from the forward nozzle (32) and the suction of gas into the backward nozzle (74) in synchronization with each other, thereby outputting to the load port 86. The gas pressure Pa to be adjusted can be adjusted. In the throttling device described above, a normal orifice can be used in a nozzle flapper that does not require ultra-precise control pressure.

  The nozzle flapper valve according to the present invention can be used to control the gas pressure supplied to the following gas actuator. In other words, precise control such as gas actuators for minute movement mechanisms, gas actuators for coarse movement and minute movement mechanisms, gas actuators for active vibration isolation, gas actuators for precision positioning devices, precise pressure control in containers, etc. Can be used to supply the gas pressure.

It is a figure explaining a mode that the nozzle flapper valve of embodiment which concerns on this invention is used in a micro movement mechanism. It is a detailed block diagram of the nozzle flapper valve in embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the cloud spring used in embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of the clearance gap formation lid in the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of the clearance gap holding base in the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which combined the clearance gap maintenance base and the clearance gap formation cover in the aperture_diaphragm | restriction apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of the outer ring in the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the aperture | diaphragm | squeezing part of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the aperture | diaphragm | squeeze part is accommodated in the lower case block in the aperture_diaphragm | restriction apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the spacer in the aperture_diaphragm | restriction apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. In the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment which concerns on this invention, it is a figure which shows a mode that the spacer was combined with the clearance gap holding base with a flat upper surface. In the diaphragm | throttle device of embodiment which concerns on this invention, it is a figure which shows a mode that a clearance gap formation cover is arrange | positioned on a spacer and a parallel clearance gap is formed. It is a figure which shows the example of the spacer of another shape. It is a figure which shows the example using a partial fan-shaped spacer. It is a figure which shows a mode that the spacer of another shape is arrange | positioned on a gap | interval holding | maintenance base. Furthermore, it is a figure which shows a mode that the clearance gap formation cover is arrange | positioned on the spacer of another shape, and a parallel clearance gap is formed. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the spacer of another shape, the external shape of an upper disk part, and a through-hole. It is a schematic diagram which shows another diaphragm | throttle device. It is a schematic diagram which shows another diaphragm | throttle device. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of an aperture part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the further another example of an aperture part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the further another example of an aperture part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the further another example of an aperture part. It is a detailed block diagram of the nozzle flapper valve in other embodiment. It is a detailed block diagram of the nozzle flapper valve in other embodiment. It is a detailed block diagram of the nozzle flapper valve in another embodiment. It is a detailed block diagram of the nozzle flapper valve in another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  2 Actuator, 4 Guide section, 6 Movable body, 10, 50, 60, 70, 80 Nozzle flapper valve, 12 Housing, 14 Linear motor, 16 Magnet, 18 Moving body, 19 Shaft body, 20 Coil, 22, 72 Flapper, 28 signal lines, 30, 68 connection terminals, 32, 74 nozzles, 34, 76, 82 supply ports, 36, 84 exhaust ports, 38, 78, 86 load ports, 40 control units, 52, 54 offset springs, 62 displacement sensors , 64 soft magnetic probe, 66 transformer winding, 100, 101, 200, 220 aperture device, 140, 250, 260, 270, 280 aperture, 142 gap forming lid, 144, 444, 544 gap holding base, 152, 212, 236, 238, 242 Parallel gap, 162, 462, 562 Disc portion, 172 Concavity, 202 , 222 Supply port, 204, 224 Output port, 206, 226 Housing, 208, 228, 230, 232 Disc, 210, 240 Supply port side inner wall, 272 Parallel flat plate, 282 Pipe line.

Claims (11)

A flapper driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism;
A nozzle that has a gas ejection opening toward the flapper, and the gas ejection changes according to the distance from the flapper;
A gas flow restricting device which is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side, and squeezes this to supply the nozzle and load from the secondary side;
In a nozzle flapper valve that controls the gas pressure supplied to the load by controlling the movement of the flapper,
The drive mechanism is
An axially arranged stator magnetic gap;
A mover having a coil to which a drive signal is input and driven in an axial direction in cooperation with a stator magnetic gap;
Including
The flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis of the flapper and allows axial movement.
The gas flow restrictor is
A housing having a primary supply port at one end and a secondary output port at the other end;
A throttle part including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval along the gas flow direction;
The nozzle flapper valve is characterized in that the gas flowing in the throttle portion is formed without disturbance by the rectifying action of the parallel gap. The nozzle flapper valve according to claim 1,
The nozzle flapper valve, wherein the throttle part is a throttle part in which a parallel gap is formed by a parallel plate. The nozzle flapper valve according to claim 2,
The throttle portion includes a disk that is disposed coaxially with the housing and has an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port, and the housing has a supply port side inner wall parallel to the surface of the disk,
The nozzle flapper valve, wherein the parallel gap is formed between an inner wall on the supply port side of the housing and a surface on one side of the disk. The nozzle flapper valve according to claim 3,
The throttle portion includes a plurality of disks arranged coaxially with the housing and having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the supply port, and the plurality of disks are stacked at a predetermined interval and other than a disk disposed on the most downstream side as viewed from the supply port. A nozzle flapper valve characterized in that the disk is a donut-shaped disk having a gas inlet in the center. The nozzle flapper valve according to claim 2,
The throttle part is a nozzle flapper valve characterized in that a spacer having a predetermined thickness for forming a parallel gap is disposed between parallel plates. A flapper driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism;
A nozzle that has a gas ejection opening toward the flapper, and the gas ejection changes according to the distance from the flapper;
A gas flow restricting device which is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side, and squeezes this to supply the nozzle and load from the secondary side;
In a nozzle flapper valve that controls the gas pressure supplied to the load by controlling the movement of the flapper,
The flapper is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis of the flapper and allows axial movement.
The gas flow restrictor is
A housing having a supply port at one end and an output port at the other end;
A throttle part including a plurality of pipes having a predetermined cross-sectional area provided in a housing and arranged in parallel along the gas flow direction, and without disturbing the gas flowing through the throttle part by the rectifying action of the pipes A nozzle flapper valve characterized by being formed. The nozzle flapper valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The nozzle flapper valve characterized in that the mover of the drive mechanism is supported by a radial support spring that suppresses rotation around the axis and allows movement in the axial direction. The nozzle flapper valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A nozzle flapper valve comprising an offset spring that urges the flapper around an arbitrary offset position along the axial direction. The nozzle flapper valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A nozzle flapper valve comprising at least one of a displacement sensor for detecting an axial displacement of a flapper and a speed detection sensor for detecting an axial speed. A bidirectional flapper having a forward flapper surface and a reverse flapper surface at both ends of a shaft body that is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism;
A forward nozzle that has a gas ejection opening toward the forward flapper surface and the gas ejection changes according to the distance between the forward flapper surface;
A reverse nozzle that has a gas jet opening toward the reverse flapper surface, and the gas jet changes according to the distance between the reverse flapper surface;
A forward throttle device for a gas flow path, which is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side, and squeezes this to supply the forward nozzle and load from the secondary side;
A gas flow direction reverse throttle device that is supplied with pressure gas from the primary side and squeezes it from the secondary side to supply the reverse nozzle and the load;
A nozzle flapper valve that controls the movement of the bidirectional flapper and controls the forward gas pressure supplied from the forward throttle device to the load and the reverse gas pressure supplied from the reverse throttle device to the load. ,
The drive mechanism is
An axially arranged stator magnetic gap;
A mover having a coil to which a drive signal is input and driven in an axial direction in cooperation with a stator magnetic gap;
Including
The bidirectional flapper is supported by radial support springs that suppress rotation around the axis of the flapper and freely move in the axial direction at both ends of the shaft body,
Each of the forward throttle device and the reverse throttle device for the gas flow path is
A housing having a primary supply port at one end and a secondary output port at the other end;
A throttle part including a parallel gap having a predetermined interval along the gas flow direction;
The nozzle flapper valve is characterized in that the gas flowing in the throttle portion is formed without disturbance by the rectifying action of the parallel gap. A bidirectional flapper having a forward flapper surface and a reverse flapper surface at both ends of a shaft body that is driven to move in the axial direction by a drive mechanism;
An ejection nozzle having a gas ejection opening toward the forward flapper surface, the gas ejection changing according to the distance between the forward flapper surface,
A suction nozzle that has a gas suction opening toward the reverse flapper surface, and the gas suction changes according to the distance from the reverse flapper surface;
In a nozzle flapper valve that controls the gas pressure supplied to the load by controlling the movement of the bidirectional flapper by sucking the gas ejected from the ejection nozzle and supplying it to the load.
The drive mechanism is
An axially arranged stator magnetic gap;
A mover having a coil to which a drive signal is input and driven in an axial direction in cooperation with a stator magnetic gap;
Including
2. A nozzle flapper valve, wherein the bidirectional flapper is supported by radial support springs that suppress rotation around the axis of the flapper and can move in the axial direction at both ends of the shaft body.

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