JP2014074419A - Valve device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a valve device capable of improving assemblability and durability, and reducing costs.SOLUTION: A valve device 1 comprises a contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 having a laminate structure 20 in which plural negative electrode parts 12 and plural positive electrode parts 15 are alternately laminated and PVC gel 14, 16 is held between each negative electrode part 12 and each positive electrode part 15. By telescopically deforming the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10, opening and closing of an oil path are switched. The laminate structure 20 of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is formed by spirally laminating a sheet between a first electrode plate 17 and a second electrode plate 18 with an insulation rod 19 as a center. The sheet is formed by sequentially laminating a first insulator sheet, a negative electrode sheet, a second insulator sheet, a first PVC gel sheet, a positive electrode sheet, and a second PVC gel sheet from below.

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve device suitable for use in hydraulic control of hydraulic equipment such as an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a valve device provided with a shrinkable polymer gel actuator as a valve device for switching a flow path of hydraulic oil for shift control in an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle. In this type of valve device, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a valve body that opens and closes an oil passage, a plurality of flat cathode plates, and a plurality of mesh anode plates are alternately stacked, A shrinkable polymer gel actuator having a polymer gel sandwiched between the plate and each anode plate. The contraction-type polymer gel actuator has a small height dimension in the stacking direction because the gel sandwiched between the cathode plate and the anode plate by voltage application moves toward the anode plate and enters the mesh-like gap. It is configured to be (thin). The amount of displacement of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator is increased by overlapping a plurality of layers in which a polymer gel is sandwiched between alternately stacked cathode plates and anode plates. The valve device has a structure in which the contraction-type polymer gel actuator is stretched and deformed by controlling the voltage applied to the contraction-type polymer gel actuator, and the valve body is driven by the stretching deformation to switch between opening and closing of the oil passage. is there.

  In the shrinkable polymer gel actuator described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of cathode plates and a plurality of anode plates are integrally formed by being connected to each other by a wiring portion, and the cathode plate and the anode are integrally formed by the wiring portion. By folding the plate, the laminated structure in which the polymer gel is sandwiched between the alternately laminated cathode plates and anode plates has been achieved.

JP 2012-159099 A

  Since the shrinkable polymer gel actuator described in Patent Document 1 achieves a laminated structure by folding, there is a problem that the assembling property is poor and the assembling accuracy is lowered when the number of laminated layers is large. In the conventional laminated structure, since the electrode and the polymer gel are independent from each other, the number of parts is large. For this reason, there is a problem that the assemblability is poor and the cost of parts increases. Moreover, since the wiring part which connects each of the plurality of cathode plates and the plurality of anode plates is a folded part, the folded part may be damaged by long-term use. Further, when the polymer gel is made into a thin film, the bent portion is strongly bent and may be damaged.

  Further, in the conventional shrinkable polymer gel actuator, the polymer gel is exposed to the outside world, so that there is a problem that the durability deteriorates depending on the use environment. Due to this problem of durability deterioration, the usage environment of the conventional shrinkable polymer gel actuator has been limited. For example, since the performance of a polymer gel deteriorates when immersed in oil, a conventional shrinkable polymer gel actuator cannot be used in oil. Further, in the conventional shrinkable polymer gel actuator, since a current flows through the polymer gel when a voltage is applied, there is a problem that the performance of the polymer gel is deteriorated due to the oxidation-reduction reaction. When the polymer gel deteriorates, the performance of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator deteriorates.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a valve device capable of improving the assembly property, reducing the cost, and improving the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator. is there.

  The present invention for solving the above problems includes a fluid passage (21) through which a fluid flows, a valve body (31) for opening and closing the fluid passage (22), and a plurality of plate-like cathodes (12). A contraction type having a laminated structure (20) in which a plurality of mesh-like anodes (15) are alternately laminated and a polymer gel (14, 16) is sandwiched between each cathode (12) and each anode (15). A polymer gel actuator (10), and the fluid passage (21) by driving the valve element (31) by expansion and contraction by controlling a voltage applied to the contraction-type polymer gel actuator (10). In the valve device (1) configured to switch between opening and closing, the shrinkable polymer gel actuator (10) forms the first insulator sheet (41) and the plurality of cathodes (12) in order from the bottom. Cathode plate (42), first Insulator sheet (43), first polymer gel (44) that forms polymer gel (14), anode plate (45) that forms the plurality of anodes (15), and polymer gel (16) A sheet (40) formed by laminating a second polymer gel (46) that forms a), and an insulating rod (19) extending in a columnar shape with the laminating direction of the laminated structure (20) as the axial direction; A first electrode plate (17) fixed to one end of the insulating rod (19) and a second electrode plate (18) movably attached to the other end of the insulating rod (19). And between the first electrode plate (17) and the second electrode plate (18), with the one side end (L1) of the sheet (40) inward, with the insulating rod (19) as the center. The laminated structure (20) is formed by laminating the sheets (40) spirally. And wherein the door. In addition, as said polymer gel, the PVC gel formed by adding a plasticizer to polyvinyl chloride (PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride) can be used.

  According to the present invention, a shrinkable polymer gel actuator having a laminated structure in which a plurality of flat cathodes and a plurality of mesh anodes are alternately laminated and a polymer gel is sandwiched between each cathode and each anode. In the valve device having the above, in order from the bottom, the first insulator sheet, the cathode sheet, the first polymer gel sheet, the anode sheet, and the sheet constituted by laminating the second polymer gel sheet are laminated in a spiral shape Only by doing so, a laminated structure of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator can be formed, so that the assembly property of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator can be improved. Further, in order to increase the number of laminated layers, it is only necessary to increase the number of windings of the sheet in a spiral manner, and this can be easily realized by, for example, increasing the length of the sheet. Therefore, it is easy to cope with an increase in the number of stacked layers. Also, the number of parts does not increase even if the number of layers increases. In addition, since the laminated structure can be realized simply by laminating one sheet in a spiral shape, the number of parts can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator is reduced. Furthermore, since a laminated structure can be formed without providing a bent portion, the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator is improved with respect to the prior art. The valve device according to the present invention includes the contraction-type polymer gel actuator having the above-described configuration as an actuator for driving the valve body. Durability can be improved.

  In addition, the stacked structure of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator provided in the valve device is configured such that the first polymer gel sheet and the second polymer gel sheet are sandwiched between the first insulator sheet and the second insulator sheet. Therefore, the first polymer gel sheet and the second polymer gel sheet can be insulated from the electrodes. Therefore, deterioration of the performance of the polymer gel can be suppressed by applying a voltage, and the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator can be improved.

  Further, in the above valve device, the sheet is formed such that the side end of the first insulator sheet laminated at the lowermost part protrudes from the outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure, and the laminated structure is used by using the protruding part. You may comprise so that the outer peripheral side of may be sealed. With this configuration, the polymer gel can be blocked from the outside world. Thereby, the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator can be improved in an environment where the shrinkable polymer gel actuator cannot be used conventionally, such as in an oil environment. Since the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator is not easily affected by the use environment, the use environment of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator can be selected.

  In addition, the code | symbol in said parenthesis shows the code | symbol of the component in embodiment mentioned later as an example of this invention.

  According to the valve device according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the assembling property, the cost and the durability as compared with the conventional valve device.

The side view showing the contraction type PVC gel actuator with which the valve device concerning one embodiment of the present invention is equipped. (A) is a perspective view which shows the state which expand | deployed the sheet | seat which forms the laminated structure of a contraction type | mold PVC gel actuator, (b) is the top view which looked at the sheet | seat shown to (a) from the arrow A. It is a figure explaining the procedure which laminates | stacks a sheet | seat spirally, and forms a shrinkable PVC gel actuator, (a) is a perspective view which shows the state before a sheet | seat winding start, (b) is a sheet | seat spirally The perspective view which shows the state wound, (c) is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted the 2nd electrode plate on the sheet | seat wound spirally. FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of the state of FIG. 3B viewed from above, in which FIG. 3A shows a case where there is no cut in the sheet, and FIGS. It is a figure explaining the detailed structural example of a 1st and 2nd electrode plate, Comprising: (a) is a top view of an electrode plate, (b) is a side view of an electrode plate. The side view which shows the state which sealed the outer periphery of the shrink type | mold PVC gel actuator with the rubber sheet. The figure which shows the valve apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the valve apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is a figure which shows the state in which the oil path was closed, (b) is a figure which shows the state in which the oil path was opened.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The shrinkable PVC gel actuator (shrinkable polymer gel actuator) 10 provided in the valve device according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10. The shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 includes a plurality of cathode portions 12 and a plurality of anode portions 15 that are alternately stacked, and a first and second PVC gel (polymer gel) 14 between each cathode portion 12 and each anode portion 15. , 16, a first electrode plate 17 electrically bonded to the end 12 a of the cathode portion 12 at one end 20 a of the stacked structure 20, and an anode portion at the other end 20 b of the stacked structure 20 The second electrode plate 18 that is electrically bonded to the 15 end portions 15b, and the insulating rod 19 that penetrates the center of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 to the bottom. The laminated structure 20 of this embodiment is formed by laminating the sheets shown in FIG. Moreover, in the laminated structure 20 of this embodiment, the 1st insulator 11 and the 2nd insulator 13 are interposing between each PVC gel 14 and 16 and each cathode part 12, and this 1st insulator 11 and The second insulator 13 insulates the PVC gels 14 and 16 from the electrodes.

  2A is a view showing a state in which a sheet for forming the laminated structure 20 of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is developed, and FIG. 2B is a view of the sheet in FIG. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the sheet 40 forms a first insulator sheet 41 that forms the first insulator 11, a cathode sheet 42 that forms the cathode portion 12, and a second insulator 13 in order from the bottom. The second insulator sheet 43, the first PVC gel sheet 44 that forms the first PVC gel 14, the anode sheet 45 that forms the anode portion 15, and the second PVC gel sheet 46 that forms the second PVC gel 16 are laminated. Each sheet member 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 has a rectangular outer shape. Further, the thickness T of the sheet 40 is represented by the total thickness of the stacked sheet members 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46.

  The first and second PVC gel sheets 44 and 46 are composed of PVC (polymer) gel formed by adding a plastic material to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) formed into a sheet shape, and have the same outer dimensions. . The cathode sheet 42 is composed of a metal foil sheet formed in a thin plate shape. The anode sheet 45 is composed of a fine metal mesh sheet that intersects vertically and horizontally as a whole. The lengths of the four sides of the cathode sheet 42 and the anode sheet 45 are the same as or substantially the same as the lengths of the four sides of the first and second PVC gel sheets 44 and 46. Moreover, the 1st and 2nd insulator sheets 41 and 43 are the members which formed the insulator substance in the sheet form, for example, are comprised by the rubber sheet.

  In the longitudinal direction of the sheet (the left-right direction in FIG. 2A), the cathode sheet 42 and the anode sheet 45 are stacked while being shifted alternately without aligning the respective ends with the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the cathode sheet 42 is laminated so that the left end protrudes outside the left side of the sheet 40 from the ends of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46, and the right end thereof is the PVC gel sheet. It enters the inside of the sheet 40 from the ends of 44 and 46. On the other hand, the anode sheet 45 is laminated so that its right end protrudes outside (right side) of the sheet 40 from the end of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46, and its left end is more than the left end of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46. Get inside. The portions of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46 that protrude outward are the margin for bonding the cathode sheet 42 to the first electrode plate 17 and the margin for bonding the anode sheet 45 to the second electrode plate 18, respectively. By laminating the cathode sheet 42 and the anode sheet 45 alternately with respect to the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46 and laminating them, it is possible to prevent short-circuiting when electrically bonding to the electrode plates 17 and 18.

  2 (a) and 2 (b), the PVC gel actuator 10 (laminated structure 20) is formed when one side end L1 of the sheet 40 (long side drawn in front in the drawing) is spirally wound around the sheet 40. The sheet 40 is preferably laminated with the sheet members 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 aligned at the side end L1. Further, the other side end L2 of the sheet 40 (long side drawn in the back in FIG. 2) becomes the outer peripheral side surface of the PVC gel actuator 10 (laminated structure 20) when the sheet 40 is spirally wound.

  The width W2 of the lowermost first insulator sheet 41 is formed larger than the width W1 of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46 by a thickness T. As an example, the width W2 of the first insulator sheet 41 is formed larger than the width W1 by the same or substantially the same thickness T as the sheet 40. Since the sheet members 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 are aligned at the side end L1, only the first insulator sheet 41 protrudes from the side end L2 of the sheet 40 as shown in FIG. All the sheet members other than the lowermost first insulator sheet 41 may be formed to have the same or substantially the same width as the width W1 of the PVC gel sheets 44 and 46.

  As one embodiment, the sheet 40 may include a plurality of cuts 48 extending from the side end L2 substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the sheet, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. The plurality of cuts 48 are preferably formed at equal intervals. When the strength of the sheet member constituting the sheet 40 is insufficient, when the sheet 40 is laminated in a spiral shape, a part or all of the sheet 40 may be torn off. If the cuts 48 are made in the sheet 40, it is possible to prevent the sheet 40 from being damaged when the sheet 40 is spirally wound. In the configuration in which the cuts 48 are made in the sheet 40, the side edges of the cathode sheet 42 and the anode sheet 45 may be formed thickly, for example, by bending or the like, at the side edge L1 that is the inside of the PVC gel actuator 10. It should be noted that it is desirable not to make the cuts 48 of the sheet 40.

  Next, a procedure for forming the PVC gel actuator 10 by laminating the sheets 40 in a spiral manner will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, the detailed configurations of the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18, the protruding portion of the first insulator sheet 41, and the notch 48 of the sheet 40 are omitted and shown. Yes. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the insulating rod 19 is fixed substantially vertically at the center position of the upper surface of the first electrode plate 17. The first electrode plate 17 is a conductive substance having a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The insulating rod 19 is an insulating material having a cylindrical outer shape whose axial direction is the stacking direction of the stacked structure 20. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the sheet 40 is spirally stacked on the upper surface of the first electrode plate 17 by winding the sheet 40 in the counterclockwise direction around the insulating rod 19. The winding (lamination) of the sheet 40 starts with the end (see FIG. 2) from which the cathode sheet 42 protrudes as a starting point. Further, the sheet 40 is wound so that the side end L1 (see FIG. 2) of the sheet 40 is located inside the spiral. Each time the sheet 40 is wound once, the sheets 40 are stacked one layer at a time in a direction that rises substantially perpendicular to the first electrode plate 17. Thus, the laminated structure 20 is formed. The number of laminated layers 20 is defined by the number of turns of the sheet 40. Therefore, in order to increase the number of stacked layers of the stacked structure 20, it is only necessary to lengthen the long sides (side edges L1, L2) of the sheet 40. The diameter of the laminated structure 20 corresponds to the short side (width W1) of the sheet 40.

  FIG. 4 is a view of the state shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from above. In an ideal embodiment in which the sheet 40 is not cut, the laminated structure 20 has a circular outer shape when viewed from above, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when a plurality of cuts 48 are made in the sheet 40, a plurality of linear cuts 48 extending in the stacking direction of the sheet 40 are formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure 20. These cuts 48 are arranged radially along the outer circumferential direction of the laminated structure 20 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4C, the number of the cuts 48 may be increased as appropriate according to the degree that the strength of the sheet 40 is insufficient.

  Returning to FIG. 3, after the entire sheet 40 is wound, the second electrode plate 18 is placed on the spirally laminated sheets 40 (laminated structure 20) as shown in FIG. 3 (c). . Thus, the PVC gel actuator 10 is completed. The second electrode plate 18 is a conductive material formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is configured in the same shape as the first electrode plate 17. The second electrode plate 18 is attached so that the insulating rod 19 penetrates the center of the second electrode plate 18 and is movable with respect to the penetrating insulating rod 19. That is, the insulating rod 19 penetrates the center of the PVC gel actuator 10 to the bottom, and its upper end protrudes from the second electrode plate 18. The first electrode plate 17 is fixed to the insulating rod 19, but the second electrode plate 18 is not fixed to the insulating rod 19. Therefore, the first electrode plate 17 does not move during the operation of the PVC gel actuator 10, while the second electrode plate 18 moves with the expansion and contraction of the PVC gel actuator 10. Note that the winding direction of the sheet 40 may be any direction as long as it is a rotation around the insulating rod 19, for example, a clockwise direction.

  Next, a detailed configuration example of the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A is a top view of the electrode plate, and FIG. 5B is a side view. As shown in FIG. 4A, the upper surfaces of the electrode plates 17 and 18 have an inclined surface 60 spirally starting from a predetermined outer diameter position from the center. That is, the electrode plates 17 and 18 have, on the upper surface thereof, a step 61 that extends from a substantially center to a direction orthogonal to the outer diameter and rises substantially vertically, and the highest position from the lowest position of the step 61 is spiral. It is comprised so that it may connect with the inclined surface 60 extended in this. The height of the step 61 may be formed to be equal to or greater than the thickness T of the sheet 40. As an example, the step 61 has the same or substantially the same height as the thickness T of the sheet 40.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18 are disposed so that the inclined surfaces 60 face each other. That is, the second electrode plate 18 is positioned rotationally symmetrically with the first electrode plate 17. Then, at the winding start point of the sheet 40 (one end 20a of the laminated structure 20), the end portion (reference numeral 12a in FIG. 1) of the cathode sheet 42 that protrudes outward from the sheet 40 is electrically connected to the step 61 of the first electrode plate 17. On the other hand, the end of the anode sheet 45 (reference numeral 15a in FIG. 1) starts slightly away from the first electrode plate 17 so as not to be short-circuited. On the other hand, at the winding end of the sheet 40 (the other end 20b of the laminated structure 20), the end portion (reference numeral 15b in FIG. 1) of the anode sheet 45 protruding outward from the sheet 40 is the step 61 of the second electrode plate 18. The end of the anode sheet 45 (reference numeral 15a in FIG. 1) ends at a position slightly away from the second electrode plate 18 so as not to be short-circuited. Further, the layers at both ends of the laminated structure 20 (the lowermost layer and the uppermost layer in FIG. 1) are inclined as shown in FIG. Since the height difference (step 61) of the inclined surface 60 provided in the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18 is equal to or greater than the thickness T of the sheet 40, the inclination of the upper and lower surfaces of the laminated structure 20 is changed to the inclined surface 60. Can be offset by Therefore, the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18 can be installed substantially horizontally with respect to the laminated structure 20 (substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction).

  FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state where the entire outer periphery of the laminated structure 20 of the PCV gel actuator 10 is sealed. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the width W2 of the first insulator sheet 41 is about the thickness T of the sheet 40 than the width W1 of the sheet 40, the first insulator sheet is formed from the outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure 20. The side edge of 41 protrudes. By folding up the protruding portion, the outer periphery of the laminated structure 20 can be sealed for each layer of the sheet 40 laminated spirally. Then, by folding up the protruding portion over the entire outer periphery of the laminated structure 20, as shown by reference numeral 80 in FIG. 6, the entire outer periphery of the laminated structure 20 of the PCV gel actuator 10 is moved to the first insulator sheet. 41 can be sealed. The sealing may be performed so that the first insulator sheet 41 is not tightly adhered to the outer periphery of the laminated structure 20. By sealing the entire outer periphery of the laminated structure 20, the PVC gels 14 and 16 can be blocked from the outside. Thereby, the PCV gel actuator 10 can be used even in a severe environment for the PVC gel, for example, in oil.

  Next, operation | movement of the PVC gel actuator 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the first electrode plate 17 is connected to the cathode of the operating power source 70 of the PVC gel actuator 10, and the second electrode plate 18 is connected to the anode of the operating power source 70. When a predetermined voltage is applied to the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10, the PVC gels 14 and 16 sandwiched between the cathode portion 12 and the anode portion 15 move toward the anode portion 15. At that time, since the anode part 15 is mesh-shaped, the PVC gels 14 and 16 are deformed and enter the mesh-shaped gap. Thereby, the height dimension in the stacking direction of the stacked structure 20 contracts. At this time, the first electrode plate 17 fixed to the insulating rod 19 does not move, while the second electrode plate 18 not fixed to the insulating rod 19 moves in a direction approaching the first electrode plate 17. Therefore, the height dimension of the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 in the stacking direction becomes smaller (thin) compared to a state where no voltage is applied. On the other hand, when the voltage application is stopped, the PVC gels 14 and 16 return to the original state, so that the height in the stacking direction of the stacked structure 20 returns to the original dimension. Accordingly, the second electrode plate 18 moves in a direction away from the first electrode plate 17, so that the height dimension of the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 in the stacking direction returns to the original dimension. For the basic configuration and operation of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10, see “Misaki Yamano, Naoki Ogawa, Satoshi Hashimoto, Midori Takasaki, Toshihiro Hirai: Structure and drive characteristics of contraction type PVC gel actuator, Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan. vol.27 No.7, pp.718-724,2009 "and the like.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a valve device including the above-described contraction type PVC gel actuator 10. The valve device is a valve device suitable for use in controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid for shift control in an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle. The valve device 1 includes an oil passage 21 through which hydraulic oil flows, a ball valve (valve element) 31 for opening and closing the oil passage 21, a contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 for driving the ball valve 31, A ball valve 31 and a case (valve body) 50 in which the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 is accommodated are configured.

  The main body 51 of the case 50 has a double structure of an outer case 53 and an inner case 55. Inside the inner case 55, a cylindrical accommodating portion 56 for accommodating the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 is provided. Is formed. A plunger 33 is interposed between the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 and the ball valve 31. The plunger 33 includes a contact portion 34 that contacts the second electrode plate 18 that is a movable end of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10, and a rod-shaped needle portion 35 that is formed to protrude from the contact portion 34 toward the ball valve 31. The tip of the needle portion 35 abuts on and presses the ball valve 31. The contact portion 34 includes a concave portion 34 a for allowing the tip of the insulating rod 19 protruding from the second electrode plate 18 to escape on the surface facing the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10, and the plunger 33 is connected to the insulating rod 19. It is possible to follow the expansion and contraction of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 without colliding with the tip of the actuator. Further, a drain chamber 26 for allowing excess hydraulic oil from the oil passage 21 to flow in is provided at a portion of the shaft portion 52 in which the needle portion 35 is accommodated. Further, drain ports 27 and 27 are opened from the drain chamber 26 toward both outer sides in the radial direction of the shaft portion 52.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a locking plate 58 is installed at a position facing the end of the PVC gel actuator 10 opposite to the plunger 33 in the accommodating portion 56. The locking plate 58 is interposed between the end of the PVC gel actuator 10 and the bottom 55 a of the inner case 55. One end of the PVC gel actuator 10 in the accommodating portion 56 is locked by the locking plate 58. Thereby, the PVC gel actuator 10 is installed in the accommodating portion 56 in a state where the axial direction is slightly compressed, and is assembled with a predetermined preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31. . A terminal portion 59 to which an external terminal (not shown) for supplying power to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is connected is provided on the bottom portion 55a of the inner case 55.

  In the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the shrinkable PVC gel actuator having the characteristic that the height dimension in the stacking direction when applying a voltage is smaller (thinner) than when no voltage is applied as described above. 10 is used to drive the ball valve 31 to switch the opening and closing of the oil passage 21. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the valve device 1. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a state in which the oil passage 21 is closed when no voltage is applied to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a state in which the oil passage 21 is opened when a voltage is applied to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10.

  That is, when no voltage is applied to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 shown in FIG. 8A, the ball valve 31 is caused to flow through the oil path by a preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31 from the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10. 21 is seated on the valve seat portion 24 in the valve 21. As a result, the oil passage 21 is closed. On the other hand, when a voltage is applied to the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10, the height dimension of the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 in the stacking direction is reduced. Accordingly, since the preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31 from the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is released, the direction in which the ball valve 31 is separated from the valve seat portion 24 by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the inflow port 22. Move to. As a result, the ball valve 31 is separated from the valve seat portion 24 and the oil passage 21 is opened. If the application of voltage to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is stopped in this state, the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 returns to its original shape, and as shown in FIG. The valve 31 is seated on the valve seat portion 24 and the oil passage 21 is closed. In this manner, the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 built in the valve device 1 expands and contracts depending on whether or not a voltage is applied, thereby switching the opening and closing of the oil passage 21 in the valve device 1.

  In the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the specific set value of the voltage applied to the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is determined in consideration of the generated force (load) necessary for driving the ball valve 31. Good. Further, the number of the PVC gels 14 and 16 stacked in the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10, that is, the number of stacked layers of the stacked structure 20 takes into account the amount of displacement (movement amount) of the ball valve 31 necessary for opening and closing the oil passage 21. To decide.

  As described above, the valve device 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of flat cathode portions 12 and a plurality of mesh anode portions 15 that are alternately stacked, and each cathode portion 12 and each anode portion 15 is interposed between the cathode portions 12 and the anode portions 15. A contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 having a laminated structure 20 sandwiching the first and second PVC gels 14 and 16 is provided. The ball valve 31 is driven by expanding and contracting the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 to switch between opening and closing of the oil passage 21. In addition, the laminated structure 20 of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is formed by laminating the sheet 40 in a spiral shape around the insulating rod 19 between the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18. The sheet 40 is formed by laminating a first insulator sheet 41, a cathode sheet 42, a second insulator sheet 43, a first PVC gel sheet 44, an anode sheet 45, and a second PVC gel sheet 46 in order from the bottom. Is formed.

  Thus, in the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the laminated structure 20 of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 includes, in order from the bottom, the first insulator sheet 41, the cathode sheet 42, the second insulator sheet 43, and the first PVC gel sheet. 44, the anode sheet 45, and the sheet | seat 40 which laminated | stacked the 2nd PVC gel sheet 46 can be formed only by laminating | stacking helically. Therefore, it is possible to improve the assembling property, reduce the cost, and improve the durability of the valve device 1 including the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10.

  Further, the laminated structure 20 of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 is configured such that the first and second PVC gel sheets 44 and 46 are sandwiched between the first and second insulator sheets 41 and 43. The PVC gels 14 and 16 of the actuator 10 can be insulated from the electrodes. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the PVC gel due to voltage application, and to improve the durability of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator 10.

  Further, the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 is configured to seal the outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure using the protruding portion of the first insulator sheet 41. With this configuration, the PVC gels 14 and 16 of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator 10 can be blocked from the outside. Thereby, the durability of the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10 can be improved in an environment where the shrinkable PVC gel actuator cannot be used conventionally, such as in an oil environment. Thereby, for example, the options of the usage environment of the shrinkable polymer gel actuator 10 can be expanded, for example, the shrinkable polymer gel actuator 10 can be used in oil.

  As another embodiment, the sheet 40 may be configured not to include the first insulator sheet 41 and the second insulator sheet 43. In that case, the sheet 40 is formed by laminating the first PVC gel sheet 44, the anode sheet 45, and the second PVC gel sheet 46 in order from the lower side, and this sheet 40 is formed on the first electrode plate 17 and the second electrode plate 18. In the meantime, the laminated structure 20 is formed by laminating spirally around the insulating rod 19. Also in this modification, the assemblability improvement, cost reduction, and durability improvement of the valve device 1 provided with the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 can be achieved.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims and the specification and drawings. Is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Valve apparatus, 10 Contraction type polymer gel actuator, 11 1st insulator, 12 Cathode part, 13 2nd insulator, 14 1st PVC (polymer) gel, 15 Anode part, 16 2nd PVC (polymer) gel, 17 1st electrode plate, 18 2nd electrode plate, 19 Insulating rod, 20 Laminated structure, 40 sheet, 41 1st insulator sheet, 42 Cathode sheet, 43 2nd insulator sheet, 44 1st PVC (polymer) gel sheet, 45 Anode sheet, 46 2nd PVC (polymer) gel sheet, 21 oil passage, 22 inflow port, 24 valve seat part, 26 drain chamber, 27 drain port, 31 ball valve, 33 plunger, 34 abutting part, 35 needle part, 50 case, 51 body part, 52 shaft part, 53 outer case, 55 inner case, 56 housing part, 58 locking plate, 59 terminal part, 60 tilt Surface, 61 step, 70 operating power

Claims (5)

A fluid passage through which fluid flows;
A valve body for opening and closing the fluid passage;
A plurality of flat cathodes and a plurality of mesh anodes are alternately stacked, and a shrinkable polymer gel actuator having a stacked structure in which a polymer gel is sandwiched between each cathode and each anode, and
In the valve device configured to switch the opening and closing of the fluid passage by driving the valve body by expansion and contraction by controlling the voltage applied to the contraction type polymer gel actuator,
The shrinkable polymer gel actuator is
In order from the bottom, a first insulator sheet, a cathode sheet that forms the plurality of cathodes, a second insulator sheet, a first polymer gel sheet that forms the polymer gel, an anode sheet that forms the plurality of anodes, and A sheet constituted by laminating a second polymer gel sheet forming the polymer gel;
An insulating rod extending in a cylindrical shape with the lamination direction of the laminated structure as an axial direction;
A first electrode plate fixed to one end of the insulating rod;
A second electrode plate movably attached to the other end of the insulating rod;
The laminated structure is formed by laminating the sheet spirally between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, with the insulating rod as the center and one side end of the sheet inside. A valve device.   Each of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate is provided with a spiral inclined surface starting from a predetermined outer shape position from the center on the upper surface, and the difference between the lowest position and the highest position of the inclined surface is 2. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is configured to have a height equal to or greater than a height in a stacking direction of the sheets, and the second electrode plate is positioned rotationally symmetrical with the first electrode plate. At one end of the laminated structure, the end of the cathode sheet is electrically bonded to the first electrode plate, while the end of the anode sheet is positioned away from the first electrode plate, and
At the other end of the laminated structure, the end of the anode sheet is electrically bonded to the second electrode plate, and the end of the cathode sheet is positioned away from the second electrode plate. The valve device according to claim 1 or 2. The sheet has one or more cuts that are substantially perpendicular from a side end opposite to the one side end serving as the inner side,
When the sheets are stacked in a spiral shape, linear cut portions along the stacking direction of the stacked structure are formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the stacked structure corresponding to the one or more cuts, respectively. The valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The sheet is formed such that a side end of the first insulator sheet laminated at the lowermost part protrudes from an outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure, and the outer peripheral side surface of the laminated structure is sealed using the protruding part. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is configured to do so.

Images