JP2010038278A - Flow regulating valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flow regulating valve accurately controlling a flow rate in a large flow rate, and easily miniaturizable with simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: A hollow part of a pipe body 11 having the structure wherein a cross section area variable part 11c is held between upper and lower fixed structure parts 11a and 11b constitutes a flow passage 11d. A shape memory alloy coil spring 12 contracted by heating is wound around an outer wall surface of the cross section area variable part 11c, and a return spring 13 is disposed on an inner wall surface of the cross section area variable part 11c. When electric current is supplied to the coil spring 12 and the coil spring is heated, the coil spring is contracted, and the cross section area of the cross section area variable part 11c is reduced accompanied by it, and a flow rate of fluid passing through the flow passage 11d is reduced. When supply of the electric current to the coil spring 12 is stopped, the coil spring 12 is returned to the original shape, and the cross section area of the cross section area variable part 11c is returned to the original state by elastic force of the return spring 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a flow control valve, and more particularly to a small valve that uses a shape memory alloy to control the flow rate of various fluids such as liquid and gas.

In general, a throttle valve is well known as a flow rate adjustment valve, and a needle type or a slide type is widely used.
On the other hand, as a flow control valve or valve using a shape memory alloy, there is one that adjusts a flow rate by expanding or contracting or separating a gap between windings of a coil formed of a shape memory alloy (for example, see Patent Document 1). . Patent Document 1 describes a coil made of a shape memory alloy that obtains an expansion force or contraction force due to heat, and a return spring that returns a coil valve when the coil does not have expansion force or contraction force due to heat. Is deployed in the flow path. As another example, there is a small valve in which an orifice is sealed by moving a movable structure using contraction of a wire made of a shape memory alloy (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2005-315292 A JP 2007-315529 A

In a commonly used needle-type or slide-type throttle valve, the flow path cross-section is a single ring-shaped portion formed by a rod-shaped valve fitted to the valve seat, so the flow resistance is large and turbulent The flow becomes unstable due to the generated turbulent flow. A general needle valve can control a minute flow rate, but has a problem that it is difficult to control a flow rate at a large flow rate. Further, in the conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the flow resistance is reduced to prevent the generation of turbulent flow and a stable flow is obtained, the coil spring and the return spring are connected in series, so the size is reduced. There is a problem that it is difficult. On the other hand, in the conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 2, the flow resistance is large, and it is difficult to control the flow rate at a large flow rate.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object thereof is to realize flow control at a large flow rate with high accuracy, and to easily reduce the size with a simple structure. It is to provide a feasible flow regulating valve.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a hollow cylindrical tube constituting a flow path, and a coil that is installed in contact with an outer wall surface or an inner wall surface of the tube and expands or contracts by heat. A spring and a pair of electrodes for energizing the coil spring, and the tubular body expands in cross-section with the shape change of the coil spring when the coil spring expands or contracts due to heat. Alternatively, there is provided a flow rate adjusting valve that is configured to be reduced and to return to its original shape when the coil spring does not have expansion force or contraction force due to heat.

  Preferably, a return spring made of an elastic body is installed on the inner wall side or the outer wall side of the tube body, so that when the coil spring does not have expansion force or contraction force due to heat, the tube body is restored to its original shape. It is returned to the shape. Alternatively, on the inner wall side or the outer wall side of the tubular body, a spiral return coil spring that contracts or expands due to heat and a pair of electrodes for energizing the return coil spring are installed, and the coil spring When there is no expansion force or contraction force due to heat, the tube body is returned to its original shape by energizing the return coil spring. Alternatively, at least a part of the tubular body is formed of an elastic body, and the tubular body is returned to its original shape by the elastic force of the tubular body itself when the coil spring does not have thermal expansion force or contraction force. .

[Action]
By energizing and heating the coil spring installed on the outer wall surface or the inner wall surface of the tubular body, the coil spring expands or contracts. For example, when the coil spring is formed so as to contract when the temperature rises and expands when the temperature falls, the coil spring is installed on the outer wall surface of the tubular body. In this case, when the coil spring is energized, the coil spring is heated to a high temperature state and contracts, and the inner diameter of the coil spring is reduced. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the pipe body is reduced, and the flow rate passing through the flow path is reduced. Conversely, when a coil spring is used that expands when the temperature increases and contracts when the temperature decreases, the coil spring is installed on the inner wall surface of the tube. In this case, when the coil spring is energized, the coil spring is heated and becomes hot and expands, so that the outer diameter of the coil spring increases. Along with this, the cross-sectional area of the pipe body increases, and the flow rate passing through the flow path increases. When energization of the coil spring is stopped, the coil spring is cooled and returned to a low temperature state (normal temperature state), and the coil spring expands or contracts, so that the deformation of the flow path cross-sectional area is restored. Thereby, the flow rate of the fluid passing through the flow path is increased or decreased. In this way, the flow rate adjusting valve of the present invention can freely change the cross-sectional area in the flow path by controlling the current value supplied to the coil spring, so that the flow rate can be controlled with high accuracy. Is possible.

  According to the present invention, since the flow rate is adjusted by changing the diameter of the flow channel, the flow rate can be adjusted with a low flow channel resistance. In addition, since the flow path cross-sectional area can be adjusted by controlling the current supplied to the coil spring, flow control at a large flow rate can be realized with high accuracy. In addition, the structure is simple and the size can be easily reduced.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a line XX in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a return spring used in the first embodiment. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, reference numeral 11 denotes a tubular body in which a cross-sectional area variable portion 11 c is sandwiched between an upper fixed structure portion 11 a and a lower fixed structure portion 11 b, and the hollow portion is connected to the flow path 11 d. It has become. Further, 12 is a shape memory alloy coil spring, 13 is a return spring, 14 is a first electrode, and 15 is a second electrode. As shown in the figure, the upper and lower surfaces of the variable cross-sectional area portion 11c are fixed to the upper fixed structure portion 11a and the lower fixed structure portion 11b, respectively. A shape memory alloy coil spring 12 formed so as to expand or contract by heat is spirally wound around the outer wall surface of the tube body 11, and the inner wall surface of the variable cross-sectional area portion 11 c of the tube body 11. Is provided with a return spring 13 for returning the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 and the cross-sectional area variable portion 11c to the original shape when the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 does not have expansion force or contraction force due to heat. As shown in FIG. 3, the return spring 13 is a hollow cylindrical body formed using an elastic material and has a spiral slit 13 a. Furthermore, the first electrode 14 and the second electrode 15 for energizing and heating the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 are fixed to the outer wall surfaces of the upper fixed structure portion 11a and the lower fixed structure portion 11b. The end portions of the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 are fixed to the first and second electrodes 14 and 15, respectively. Here, the upper fixed structure portion 11a and the first electrode 14, and the lower fixed structure portion 11b and the second electrode 15 are electrically insulated. Further, the upper fixed structure portion 11a and the lower fixed structure portion 11b are fixed to the cross-sectional area variable portion 11c with a heat insulating material (not shown) interposed therebetween, and the influence of heat generation is generated when the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is energized. The structure is reduced. Further, a material having a small linear expansion coefficient is used for the upper fixed structure portion 11a and the lower fixed structure portion 11b, and the cross-sectional area variable portion 11c is elastically deformed by the expansion force or contraction force of the shape memory alloy coil spring 12. You are using the material you want. As the shapes of the fixed structures 11a and 11b, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a structure with a flange, but a cylindrical shape without a flange may be used.

[Operation]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which is an operation explanatory view of the flow rate adjusting valve of the present embodiment. The shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is formed so as to contract when the temperature increases and to expand when the temperature decreases. FIG. 4A shows an initial state where the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is not energized. Now, when the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is energized through the first electrode 14 and the second electrode 15, it is heated to a high temperature state and contracts to reduce the sectional area of the coil. As shown in 4 (b), the cross-sectional area of the cross-sectional area variable portion 11c is also reduced. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 11d is reduced, and the flow rate passing through the flow path 11d is reduced. Next, when energization to the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is stopped, the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is cooled and returned to a low temperature state (normal temperature state), and the contraction force generated in the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 disappears. And the deformation | transformation which had arisen in the cross-sectional area variable part 11c is corrected with the elastic force of the return spring 13, and it returns to an original state with the shape memory alloy coil spring 12. FIG. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 11d increases, and the flow rate passing through the flow path 11d increases. In this way, the flow rate adjusting valve of the present invention can freely change the cross-sectional area of the flow path 11d by controlling the current value supplied to the shape memory alloy coil spring 12, so that the flow rate can be adjusted with high accuracy. It is possible to control.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals in the last one digit, and therefore, duplicate explanation is omitted. The difference of the present embodiment from the first embodiment is that, instead of the return spring 13, a shape memory alloy return coil spring 23 that expands by heat is used. The shape memory alloy return coil spring 23 is installed in contact with the inner wall surface of the variable cross-sectional area 21c, and both ends of the shape memory alloy return coil spring 23 are the same as the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 of the first embodiment. It is connected to a third electrode and a fourth electrode (both not shown) fixed to the upper fixed structure portion 21a and the lower fixed structure portion 21b, respectively. Here, the third electrode and the upper fixed structure portion 21a, and the fourth electrode and the lower fixed structure portion 21b are electrically insulated from each other. In the first embodiment, when energization to the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 is stopped, the shape memory alloy coil spring 12 expands and deformation caused in the cross-sectional area variable portion 11c by the restoring force of the return spring 13 is expanded. In the present embodiment, the shape memory alloy coil spring 22 is turned off and the shape memory alloy return coil spring 23 is energized and heated to heat the shape memory alloy return coil. The spring 23 expands, and a restoring force acts on the cross-sectional area variable portion 21c whose flow path cross-sectional area is reduced by the contraction force of the shape memory alloy coil spring 22, so that the flow path cross-sectional area is restored to the original size.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, those having the same functions as those of the member in the first embodiment shown in FIG. The difference of the present embodiment from the first embodiment is that the return spring 33 is spirally wound around the outer wall surface of the variable cross-sectional area 31c of the tubular body 31, and the variable cross-sectional area The shape memory alloy coil spring 32 that is expanded by heat is provided on the inner wall surface of 31c. Here, the return spring 33 has the same form as the return spring 13 shown in FIG. Furthermore, both ends of the shape memory alloy coil spring 32 are connected to a first electrode and a second electrode (both not shown) fixed to the upper fixed structure portion 31a and the lower fixed structure portion 31b, respectively.

  When the shape memory alloy coil spring 32 is not energized, the elastic force of the return spring 33 wound around the outer wall surface of the variable cross-sectional area 31c causes deformation of the variable cross-sectional area 31c of the tubular body 31. The cross-sectional area of the channel 31d is smaller than the illustrated state. On the other hand, when the shape memory alloy coil spring 32 is energized through the first electrode and the second electrode and heated, the outer diameter of the shape memory alloy coil spring 32 resists the elastic force of the return spring 33. Then, since the cross-sectional area variable portion 31c returns to the original shape (the illustrated state), the cross-sectional area of the flow path 31d becomes larger than when no current is applied.

  FIG. 7 shows a diaphragm type liquid transporter as an application example of the present invention. The flow rate adjusting valve of the present invention is used as the inflow valve 56a and the outflow valve 56b. When a voltage is applied to a thin plate actuator 54 (for example, a bimorph type piezoelectric vibrator, hereinafter abbreviated as a piezoelectric vibrator) supported and fixed by a seal rubber 55 and a damper rubber 53, the piezoelectric vibrator 54 performs bending vibration. In response to the bending vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator 54, the inflow valve 56a and the outflow valve 56b are operated as follows. When the piezoelectric vibrator 54 is deformed upwardly, the flow path cross-sectional area of the outflow valve 56b is reduced by energizing the shape memory alloy coil spring of the outflow valve 56b, and the flow path resistance is larger than that of the inflow valve 56a. Therefore, the liquid flows in from the inflow valve 56a. On the other hand, when the piezoelectric vibrator 54 is convexly deformed downward, by energizing the shape memory alloy coil spring of the inflow valve 56a, the flow path cross-sectional area of the inflow valve 56a becomes smaller, and the flow path resistance is smaller than that of the outflow valve 56b. Since it becomes larger, the liquid flows out from the outflow valve 56b. Since the flow rate adjusting valve of the present invention can freely change the cross-sectional area of the flow path, the flow path resistance of the inflow valve 56a and the outflow valve 56b can be controlled with high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to provide a diaphragm type liquid transporter capable of adjusting the flow rate with high accuracy.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, an appropriate change is possible. For example, in the embodiment, the tubular body has a cylindrical shape, but may have a polygonal cylindrical shape. Moreover, you may use the coil spring formed using the wire which consists of a normal metal material as a return spring. Moreover, although the return spring and the return coil spring were used to return the cross-sectional area of the variable cross-sectional area of the tubular body to the original state, it is restored to the original shape by the elastic force of the cross-sectional area variable part itself. You may do it.

  Examples of utilization of the present invention include pumps used in electronic devices such as notebook personal computers, cooling devices for electronic components, and fuel cells.

The perspective view which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the return spring used in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. Operation | movement explanatory drawing of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of application of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11, 21, 31 Tubes 11a, 21a, 31a Upper fixed structure parts 11b, 21b, 31b Lower fixed structure parts 11c, 21c, 31c Cross-sectional area variable parts 11d, 21d, 31d Flow paths 12, 22, 32 Shape memory Alloy coil springs 13, 33 Return spring 13a Slit 14 First electrode 15 Second electrode 23 Shape memory alloy return coil spring 51 Lid 52 Pump base 53 Damper rubber 54 Piezoelectric vibrator 55 Seal rubber 56a Inflow valve 56b Outflow valve

Claims (9)

A pair of hollow cylindrical tubes constituting the flow path, a coil spring installed in contact with the outer wall surface or the inner wall surface of the tube body, which expands or contracts by heat, and a power supply for energizing the coil springs An electrode, and when the coil spring expands or contracts due to heat, the cross-sectional shape expands or contracts with the shape change of the coil spring, and the coil spring expands due to heat or A flow rate adjusting valve configured to return to its original shape when it has no contractile force. A return spring made of an elastic body is installed on the inner wall side or the outer wall side of the tube body, so that the tube body is returned to its original shape when the coil spring does not have a thermal expansion force or contraction force. The flow regulating valve according to claim 1. The flow rate regulating valve according to claim 2, wherein the return spring is a hollow cylindrical structure having a spiral slit. A spiral return coil spring that contracts or expands by heat and a pair of electrodes for energizing the return coil spring are installed on the inner wall side or the outer wall side of the tubular body, and the coil spring is 2. The flow rate adjusting valve according to claim 1, wherein the tube is returned to its original shape by energizing the return coil spring when there is no expansion force or contraction force due to heat. The flow rate regulating valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coil spring or the return coil spring is formed of a shape memory alloy. At least a part of the tubular body is formed of an elastic body, and when the coil spring does not have expansion or contraction force due to heat, the tubular body is returned to its original shape by the elastic force of the tubular body itself. The flow regulating valve according to claim 1, wherein The tube includes a variable cross-sectional area that is elastically deformed by an expansion force or contraction force of the coil spring and a fixed structure portion that is not elastically deformed by the expansion force or contraction force of the coil spring. The flow regulating valve according to any one of 1 to 6. The flow regulating valve according to claim 7, wherein a heat insulating material is inserted between the variable cross-sectional area portion of the tubular body and the fixed structure portion. The flow rate adjusting valve according to claim 7, wherein the electrode for energizing the coil spring or the return coil spring is installed in the fixed structure portion of the pipe body.

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