JP3706676B2 - Directional switching valve - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a direction switching valve, and in particular, achieves simple and easy removal of internal deposits without fear of adhesion of germs and dust.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Any directional control valve which is widely used in general conventionally often part of come in contact with the fluid, moreover, since the fluid passage has irregularities, a complicated shape such as a tortuous, in washing the interior Therefore, it is unavoidable to completely remove all the moving parts and deposits on the fluid passage only by passing washing water or the like, and this is often caused by disassembling and cleaning the valve. The removal of deposits was attempted.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, many work steps are required to disassemble and clean the direction switching valve, and particularly when the direction switching valve is applied to transport of drinking water, alcoholic beverages, liquid seasonings, etc. In the assembly and the like after the disassembly and cleaning, the bacteria falling from the worker, the adhesion of the floating dust, etc., may become a sanitary problem.
[0004]
The present invention was made as a result of studying as a subject to solve such problems of the prior art, and its main object is to effectively prevent the adhesion of fluid contents to the fluid passage. For example, even if it adheres, the attached matter can be removed easily, quickly and completely, and at the same time, the possibility of entering germs, dust, etc. can be removed sufficiently. In providing a valve.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The direction switching valve according to the present invention is provided with two soft tubes that are selectively used, connected to a single passage, and is arranged between the soft tubes at the end of each rod that moves forward and backward. A double-acting double-acting cylinder provided with tube pressing means and each soft tube pressing means are arranged to face each other across the soft tube, and are at least a driving means that is displaced in the advancing direction, for example, a cylinder, a gear mechanism, etc. Each of the pistons is connected to a valve frame body by a flexible membrane body, and a pressurized fluid supply / exhaust port is provided in a closed space defined on the back side of the flexible membrane body. The closed space and the flexible membrane body are made to function as piston advancement drive means with the fluid supplied to the supply / discharge port .
Here, preferably, a spring force for retracting and moving the piston is applied to the flexible film body. Here, the application of the spring force is to configure the flexible film body itself with a spring material, to locally attach a spring material such as a leaf spring to the flexible film body, It can be performed by directly or indirectly seating a compression or tension type coil spring or the like.
[0006]
In such a directional switching valve, its fluid passage is constituted by a soft tube that can be made of silicone, silicone rubber, or other polymer material, and the inner surface of the passage is made sufficiently smooth. By using the tube as a straight tube and removing irregularities, detours, and the like from the fluid passage, it is possible to effectively prevent adhesion of fluid aggregates and the like thereto.
[0007]
Also, here, one of the soft tubes is crushed and deformed by the selective forward / backward displacement of the double rod double acting cylinder arranged outside the soft tube, and hence the soft tube pressing means provided at each rod end of the cylinder. In addition, by completely releasing the constraint on the other soft tube, the fluid flows in the other soft tube, and in this case, the fluid contacts the valve components other than the soft tube. Since it passes through the direction switching valve without any problems, it is possible to reliably prevent the agglomerates and the like from adhering to other valve components. This also applies to a soft tube that has been crushed and deformed to block fluid flow.
On the other hand, even if aggregates or the like may adhere to the inner surface of the soft tube, the soft tube made of a polymer material is excellent in peelability due to its physical properties. By allowing the high-pressure cleaning fluid to pass therethrough, aggregates and the like can be removed from the inner surface easily and quickly and completely by peeling off.
[0008]
By the way, in the case where the soft tube pressing means as described above is provided with pistons that are spaced apart from the soft tubes and opposed to each other, and driving means that displaces each piston at least in the advancing direction, the piston is attached to the soft tube. The advancing operation is performed in synchronism with the pressing means, and the soft tube is completely crushed and deformed between them, thereby greatly increasing the response speed of the direction switching valve.
Further, the piston is connected to the valve frame body by a flexible membrane body, and a pressurized fluid supply / exhaust port is provided in a closed space defined on the back side of the flexible membrane body, and the closed space and the flexible membrane body are For example, by operating as a piston advancing drive means under the action of compressed air supplied to the closed space from the pressurized fluid supply / exhaust port, it is not necessary to attach a special drive means to the flow control valve itself. Thus, the structure of the direction switching valve can be simplified, and the whole can be reduced in size.
[0009]
In this case, the piston advancing operation is performed directly and indirectly by the backward pressing force exerted on the piston by the fluid flowing in the soft tube and the compressed air supplied to the closed space. This is performed in relation to the pushing force in the advancing direction exerted on the piston, and when the pushing force in the advancing direction of the piston overcomes the pushing force in the retreating direction based on the internal pressure in the closed space, the advancing displacement of the piston is The piston is brought into contact with the soft tube pressing means operated in synchronism with it, causing the soft tube to quickly and completely crush and prevent fluid flow.
On the other hand, the release of the restraint on the soft tube is also synchronized with the operation of the soft tube pressing means to reduce the internal pressure of the closed space and to apply the advancing direction pressing force acting on the piston in the backward direction. When the pressure in the closed space is reduced to atmospheric pressure, the amount of crushing deformation of the soft tube becomes zero very quickly, and the flow path is quickly switched.
[0010]
In such a direction switching valve, when a spring force for returning the piston itself to the retracted position is applied to the flexible membrane body, when the closed space internal pressure becomes, for example, zero, the flexible tube body The crushing deformation can be removed reliably and quickly without depending on the backward direction pressing force exerted on the piston by the fluid, and the switching response of the direction switching valve can be further enhanced.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of a direction switching valve according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view or plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.
1 and 2 show soft tubes, for example, silicone tubes, in which both the silicone tubes 1 and 2 are fitted with a pair of flanged inserts 3 and 4 fitted at both ends thereof, and their respective ends. The end portions are liquid-tightly held by sleeves 5 and 6 fixed to the outer periphery of the portions by, for example, caulking. Further, here, a known double rod double acting cylinder 8 is disposed between two silicone tubes 1 and 2 attached to the housing 7 via sleeves 5 and 6, and the double rod double acting cylinder 8 is disposed respectively. Pressing means 10 and 11 which are fixed to the housing 7 via the brackets 9 and are brought into contact with the silicone tubes 1 and 2 at their respective rod ends to bring them into crushing deformation, as is apparent from FIG. Is provided.
In this double-rod double-acting cylinder 8, the respective rods, and hence the respective pressing means 10, 11 are alternately advanced and retracted based on the operation thereof. In the case of being backed up by a rigid member on the opposite side of the pressing means 10, 11, by appropriately selecting the advance / retreat stroke amount of the pressing means 10, 11, each of these silicones can be obtained with only the pressing means 10, 11. It is also possible to directly crush and deform the tubes 1 and 2 and to release the deformation.
[0012]
On the other hand, in the illustrated preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, pistons 12, 13 positioned opposite to the pressing means 10, 11 with the respective silicone tubes 1, 2 disposed are arranged. , 13 are provided with pressing members 12a, 13a that contact the silicone tubes 1, 2. The pressing members 12a and 13a have a width that slightly exceeds the diameter of the silicone tubes 1 and 2 in the same manner as the pressing means 10 and 11, and the tip surfaces thereof are also the same as the pressing means 10 and 11. And a flat surface over its entire width. By the way, each piston 12, 13 is connected to any known driving means for moving it at least in the advancing direction in synchronism with the pressing means 10, 11.
In this case, such a driving means is provided in the central through-hole of the flexible membrane bodies 18 and 19 having, for example, airtightly sandwiched peripheral portions between the valve frame bodies 14 and 15 and the lid bodies 16 and 17 fitted thereto. The edge portion is also airtightly connected to each piston 12 and 13, and on the back side of the flexible film body 18 and 19, a closed space 20 and 21 is defined by the lid body and 16 and 17, and The closed spaces 20 and 21 are configured by providing pressurized fluid supply and discharge ports 22 and 23, and such driving means are fixed to the housings 7 by attaching the respective valve frame bodies 14 and 15 to the housing 7. ing. In this drive means, under its inoperative condition, the piston 12, 13 is in its retracted position based on the internal pressure of the silicone tube by the transport fluid, as illustrated in the lower half of FIG. The pressing member is located on the outer peripheral surface of the silicone tube 2.
[0013]
On the other hand, when the drive means is operated by supplying pressurized fluid, for example, pressurized air, into the closed space from the pressurized fluid supply / discharge means connected to the supply / discharge port, the pistons 12, 13 As a result, as shown in the upper half of the figure, the pressing members 12a and 13a are formed on one rod of the double-acting cylinder 8 on the basis of the deformation of the flexible film bodies 18 and 19 to the front limit position, Directly projecting from the valve frame bodies 14 and 15 under the synchronous operation with one of the pressing means, the silicone tube 1 is completely crushed and deformed against its internal pressure to prevent the fluid in the tube from flowing.
[0014]
The advance limit positions of the pistons 12 and 13 and the pressing members 12a and 13a during the operation of the driving means are such that the flexible film bodies 18 and 19 are formed on the front side thereof. 14 and 15 by contact with the frustoconical surfaces 14a and 15a, and when the flexible membrane bodies 18 and 19 are deformed to the front side thereof, When returning to the inactive position of 13, the discharge of air from the front side closed space defined by each flexible film body 18, 19 and the frustoconical surface 14a, 15a, or the inhalation of air therethrough, With the flow of air between the valve frame bodies 14, 15 and the pistons 12, 13, or to the external communication holes (not shown) provided in the valve frame bodies 14, 15 on the front side of the flexible film bodies 18, 19 It can be well tolerated with air circulation.
By the way, when the external communication holes are provided in the valve frame bodies 14 and 15 on the front side of the flexible film bodies 18 and 19, it is possible to connect the pressurized fluid supply / discharge means to the external communication holes. According to the above, when the pistons 12 and 13 move forward, the fluid is positively discharged from the external communication holes, while when the pistons 12 and 13 move backward, the pressurized fluid is supplied to the external communication holes. , 13 forward and backward displacements can be performed more quickly.
[0015]
Here, the flexible film bodies 18 and 19 can be composed of a gas-impermeable rubber, a synthetic resin material, or the like, with a reinforcing layer embedded or not embedded therein. When a spring member that self-returns the pistons 12 and 13 to their retracted position is provided, or when the flexible film body itself is formed of an elastic film body that self-returns the pistons 12 and 13, it is flexible. Even under a configuration in which no pressurized fluid is supplied to the closed space on the front side of the film bodies 18 and 19, the pistons 12 and 13 can be quickly and surely restored.
[0016]
In the direction switching valve constructed as described above, the flow path is switched as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by operating both rod double acting cylinders 8 and advancing one rod and pressing means 10. The one piston 12 and the pressing member 12a are advanced in synchronism with the advance operation, and at the same time, the other piston 13 and the pressing member 13a are synchronized with the backward displacement of the other pressing means 11 of the double rod double acting cylinder 8. By moving the silicone tube 1 backward, the one silicone tube 1 is crushed and deformed to completely prevent the fluid from flowing therethrough, and the restraint of the pressing means 10 and the pressing member 13a with respect to the other silicone tube 2 is released. It can be done by returning it to its original shape, which sufficiently allows free flow of fluid. Here, the flow of the fluid to the silicone tube 1 is realized by displacing each of the pressing means 10 and 11 and the pressing members 12a and 13a in the opposite direction from the above-described posture. become.
[0017]
By the way, the silicone tubes 1 and 2 that define the flow path in such a directional switching valve have a sufficiently smooth inner surface and are difficult to adhere to fluid aggregates due to their physical properties. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent adhesion of fluid aggregates and the like on the inner surface over a long period of time and sufficiently prevent unexpected fluctuations in the fluid flow rate.
[0018]
On the other hand, even if fluid agglomerates may adhere to the inner surfaces of the silicone tubes 1 and 2, many of the adhering substances will have some extension of their own due to the action of the directional control valve. It will peel from there by the crushing deformation | transformation which accompanies, and the return | restoration to the original shape with a shrinkage | contraction. In addition, the silicone tubes 1 and 2 originally have physical properties that are excellent in the peelability of the deposit, and in this directional switching valve, the flowing fluid does not come into contact with valve components other than the silicone tube, Since there is no possibility of agglomerates adhering to the outside of the silicone tubes 1 and 2, for example, by passing a cleaning fluid such as high-temperature and high-pressure steam therethrough, all of the adhering materials can be easily and quickly removed. Can be peeled off.
Thus, it is not necessary to disassemble and clean the valve in order to remove the deposits. Therefore, when assembling the valve after cleaning, there is a sufficient risk of adhesion of germs and dust to the valve components. Can be removed.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the accumulation of fluid agglomerates and the like on the direction switching valve, and to sufficiently prevent the fluid flow rate fluctuation over a long period of time. Even if there is adhesion of agglomerates etc., it is possible to completely peel and remove the adhering matter by the flow of the cleaning fluid without having to disassemble and clean the valve. It is possible to reliably remove the possibility of adhesion of germs, dust, and the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view or plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2 Silicone tube 3, 4 Insert with flange 5, 6 Sleeve 7 Housing 8 Double rod double acting cylinder 9 Bracket
10, 11 Pressing means
12, 13 piston
12a, 13a Press member
14, 15 Valve frame
16, 17 lid
18, 19 Flexible membrane
20, 21 closed space
22, 23 Supply / exhaust port

Claims (2)

Two and a soft tube, disposed between those soft tube, the double rod double-acting cylinder formed by providing a flexible tube pressing means on each rod end moves forward and backward displacement, and each soft tube pressing means, the flexible tube Each of the pistons is disposed at a distance from each other, and includes at least a driving means that displaces in the advancing direction, and each of the pistons is connected to the valve frame body by a flexible film body. it characterized by being provided with a supply and discharge port of pressurized fluid to the closed space defining the rear side of the body directional control valve. The direction switching valve according to claim 1 , wherein a spring force that reversely displaces the piston is applied to the flexible membrane body.

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