JPH05506706A - Improved electrically controlled fluid valve - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Improved electrically controlled fluid valve The present invention provides an electrically controlled flow control valve and a plurality of these flow control valves in a sheet of material. It relates to a matrix in which control valves are arranged.

Flow control valves have a variety of uses, but the flow control valve is installed in the seat. The following printing process can be cited as a specific example of the use of Trix. The above tomato The printing process used by Rix selectively shapes the valve matrix into the desired pattern. The printing ink is controlled to pass through the sheet and flow into the receiving surface to form a character image on the surface. Print.

The property of being subjected to mechanical stress when an electric field is applied, resulting in mechanical distortion or deformation. Many materials with . Such materials are piezo-electric tric) material.

All conventional piezoelectric materials have a crystalline structure and are therefore solid materials with relatively high stiffness. . Typical applications include electrical and mechanical transducers such as microphones and ultrasonic transceivers. It is a field.

Recently, certain synthetic polymers have been developed that maintain flexibility and relatively high elasticity. It was discovered that it can exhibit piezoelectric performance. The above synthetic polymer is thin and flexible. It is possible to form it into a membrane. The purpose of the present invention is to utilize the piezoelectric effect of the above polymer in a fluid. It is used to operate flow control valves.

Therefore, the present invention includes a valve member made of a piezoelectric material and an electric field applying means. A motorized flow control valve, the means applying an electric field to the valve member, thereby causing the valve member to An electric flow configured to selectively deform a material into a valve open state or a valve closed state. Provides a quantity control valve.

When an electric field is applied, the electric field expands or contracts the valve member to bring it into the open or closed state. is obtained.

In one aspect of the invention, the application of the electric field moves the valve member from a closed state to an open state. In the second aspect, the application of the electric field changes the valve member from the open state to the closed state. The system is configured to cause the system to enter a stopped state.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve member is a flexible pressure valve having a slit-like valve hole. The electric field applying means includes an electric material sheet, and the electric field application means applies an electric field to at least the sheet. It is locally deformed to open the valve hole slit and allow fluid to pass through, while the electric field is removed. The valve hole slit is configured to close and prevent passage of fluid.

In a modification of the above embodiment, the valve hole is formed in the seat and the electric current if+: when absent, the fluid When an electric field is applied, the force ζ, which is a thank-you note that allows the passage of The valve is deformed to close the valve hole and prevent the passage of fluid.

In a preferred embodiment of the electric field applying means, the electric field is applied in the plane direction of the piezoelectric material sheet. do.

In a further preferred embodiment of the electric field applying means, the electric field is applied across the plane of the piezoelectric material sheet. Apply in the direction.

A large number of the above control valves can be arranged in a single sheet of flexible piezoelectric material, and this large number of control valves can be can be arranged in a regular matrix covering an area of the sheet. Izu In either case, a means for selectively opening or closing the valve in the desired pattern is provided on the seat. can be provided.

In the case of the above embodiment, the desired pattern matches the printed character image on the printing sheet. By opening the valve in this pattern, printing ink can be sealed. can be flowed through the receiver surface onto a receiving surface to print a character image on the surface.

The means for applying an electric field to the piezoelectric material is a conductor provided on the surface of the material or inside it. The piezoelectric material may include a conductor defining a region of piezoelectric material to which an electric field is applied. Many When controlling several valves within a sheet material, these conductors are can be arranged in a programmable matrix .

Although the above explanation relates to a valve for controlling the flow rate of fluid or liquid, The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned applications, but is applicable to radiation such as light, i.e., a single beam. Transmission of radiation such as light or as a pattern or matrix of multiple beams It should be understood that this extends to overdosage control. Additionally, controlling the size of the valve hole The laser is activated in response to an electrical signal applied to a digital or analog valve. - It is also possible to modulate radiation such as light beams.

The piezoelectric material preferably used in any of the above embodiments is thermoplastic fluorocarbon As a base resin, polyvinylidene fluoride (CH2CF2) with 1 (β) type crystal phase is used. can be mentioned.

In order that these and other features of the invention may be better understood, some implementations of the invention may be provided. Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

In the attached drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a valve showing an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a valve showing an embodiment of the invention; FIG. Indicates a method in which a large number of are arranged on a sheet material in a matrix shape: FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a printing block in which a large number of valves of FIG. 1 are arranged.

4A, 4B, and 4C each illustrate the operation of yet another embodiment of the valve of the present invention. It shows the various stages of production.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a fluid flow control valve showing one embodiment of the present invention. Shown open The valve member is made of a flexible polymer in which a valve hole 11 is formed. It includes a piezoelectric material sheet 10. When the seat is free, that is, the valve is closed. In this case, the valve hole 11 has the shape of a fine closed slit.

When the valve member transitions to the open state, the sheet material 10 is placed on either side of the valve hole 11 or deformation on each side, thereby causing the valve hole to open and form the double convex shape shown in Figure 1. Become.

The material comprising the valve member, when manipulated, forms a pair of electrical conductors 12 and 13, respectively. In the area indicated by A and B located between, either side of the valve hole 11 or each The side of the head is deformed as shown above. The conductor 12 is the negative electrode or the earth rail 14 The conductor 13 is connected to the positive electrode or the supply rail 15. Therefore, When a DC voltage is applied to the rail 15 which is positive with respect to the rail 14, the voltage between A and B is A respective electric field is generated across each region, causing the valve member 10 to contract and deform, thereby causing , the valve hole 11 opens to the state shown in FIG. Removing the voltage from rail 15 , the electric field is removed from the regions A and B, thereby leaving the valve member 10 free. The valve hole 11 returns to the closing slit.

In another aspect of the invention, when the valve member 10 is free, the valve hole 11 is open. state. Preferably, the shape of the hole is elongated with two convex surfaces, as shown in FIG. It is open in the shape.

When a voltage is applied to the rail 15, an electric field is generated in each area of A and B, and the valve member 1 0 is inflated, thereby closing the valve hole 11 and forming a closed slit shape.

Figure 2 shows a number of valves similar to those shown in Figure 1, each with a respective positive electrode or supply. For valve groups with rails 15, a common number of negative poles or ground rails are provided. FIG. .

A preferred material for the valve member 10 is polyvinylidene fluoride, which is a thermoplastic fluorocarbon resin. (PVdF). This material stretches mechanically and polarizes in an electric field , both piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity are imparted.

Polyvinylidene fluoride has two main crystal forms called type 1 (β) and type 2 (α). It is a semicrystalline polymer that exists in phases. For samples that require a high degree of piezoelectric activity It is necessary that a large amount of oriented polar type 1 crystal material be present. When the material is stretched, the sheet Non-polar type 2, which accounts for the majority of the material extruded from the melt during the production of The phase converts to a type 1 crystallized phase. The mechanism of piezoelectricity is the type 1 crystal structure contained in the material. Ferroelectric-like response based on polarized network arrangement of highly polar carbon-fluorine bonds during construction It is thought that.

FIG. 3 shows one implementation of a matrix of multiple fluid valves of the type described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. An exemplary sheet of flexible piezoelectric material is used to stamp text or logos on documents. It shows how it can be used in equipment used in modern rubber stamping methods. It is a schematic diagram. The sheet material 20 is, as described above, suitable for the conductor selected in the above method. A flow that is comprehensively programmed to open when a certain voltage is applied. It is formed by a matrix of body valves. The ink storage tank 21 is directly behind the sheet 20 Therefore, with the selection valve in the matrix open, seat 2 0 is applied to the surface of a document, etc., ink flows from the ink storage tank 21 through the opening valve hole. , for example by application of pressure, onto the document.

A backup storage tank 22 for supplying a large amount of ink is installed behind the storage tank 21, and a flow path or pipe is installed. 23 can be connected to the storage tank 21. In this structure, the ink storage tank 2 1 and/or reservoir 22 is continuously maintained under pressure by suitable means. , the valve of the seat 20 is momentarily opened in a desired pattern, for example, the ground rail or Momentarily connect the negative rail to a suitable DC power source to open it and allow ink to pass through. Text images can be printed. On the other hand, unlike the above, it is possible to Keep the valve open by constantly applying pressure, and then The pressure that forces the ink onto the document is applied to the ink reservoir 21 or reservoir 22. Apply instant pressure, e.g. to the handle (not shown) using the traditional rubber stamp technique. can be obtained by the pressure generated by pressing the device on the document (not shown).

4A, 4B and 4C show alternative configurations of valve elements disposed on sheets of piezoelectric material. child In the construction, the sheet 30 is provided with a closure indicated by the number 31 in a similar manner to the construction described above. A slit-shaped valve hole is provided. In this structure, conductors are arranged above and below the sheet 30. do. That is, the negative conductor is placed under the sheet as shown at 32, and the positive conductor is placed under the sheet at 33. Place on the sheet as shown. By arranging this conductor, the sheet Applying an electric field in the direction across the thickness or plane of the sheet as shown in Figure 4B can be shrunk in the thickness direction. As a result, the slit hole 31 is shown in FIG. 4B. In this manner, the opening is opened in the cross-sectional direction to form a cavity. This cavity is The fluid is filled with pressure from above, but the fluid is not necessarily directed to the bottom of the seat 30. There is no need to penetrate the slit hole 31.

When the electric field is removed, the slit 31 returns to its original closed state, as shown in FIG. 4C.

When the pressure is maintained on the fluid on the sheet 30, the fluid will move to 34 in FIG. As shown in , when the slit hole closes, it ejects downward. This structure allows for small amounts of fluid It can be used to drain only a predetermined amount of water.

There is another one not only on the right side of the slit 31 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, but also on the left side. A pair of conductors 32 and 33 is provided, thereby allowing the valve member to contract on both sides. can.

Electrical conductors operating multiple valves of the matrix, particularly shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C. This type of electrical conductor has a transverse matrix that can be atranged across both sides of the sheet. The valves can be arranged in a trix so that the valves to be opened can be selected.

The structure of Figure 4 is particularly suited for use in valve matrices used as ink-printed sheets. suitable for

As is clear from the above, these embodiments utilize a valve element disposed within the sheet material. An electric fluid control valve is provided that is particularly suited to matrix construction. Valve matrix above Although the above-mentioned masks are particularly suitable for use as printing sheets or printing elements, Other uses for Trix are also possible. For example, the map of the above valve installed on the seat. Trix has applications as a controllable filter element for fluids and is By applying different electric fields to different regions of the filter pores, By changing the pore size throughout the sheet, a filter structure with graduated pore size is created. can be done. Such filters can be used to filter gases or liquids. available.

Furthermore, in addition to controlling the flow rate of fluid, the principles of the present invention can also be applied to controlling the passage of light through a sheet material. can. A matrix of the above valves is provided on an opaque sheet material and one side of the sheet is irradiated. Then, under the control of the matrix, the irradiated pattern appears on the opposite side of the sheet and is directly visible. It can be displayed directly or transferred with or without a lens. You can then send the pattern and display it elsewhere. For devices like this for various display applications, e.g. on the screens of computers and related devices. It has display uses such as displaying letters and numbers. In addition, a single valve element can be Applying a variable signal to the conductor is used to control the passage of the light beam into the conductor. It is also possible to act as a signal tuner. In such applications, the valve part In some cases, the amplitude of movement of the material is required to be small, in which case high-stiffness piezoelectric materials are used. It is appropriate to use

Figure 2 abstract The present invention provides a valve member (1o) made of a piezoelectric material and an electric field applying means (12, 13). ), the means applies an electric field to the valve member and Accordingly, the valve member is configured to be selectively deformed into a valve open state or a valve closed state. To provide an electric flow control valve made of The present invention also provides piezoelectric material formed into a sheet of A matrix of the above-mentioned valves that can be selectively opened or closed to create a pattern. A matrix that can be drawn, and a pattern that can be drawn on the item using the above matrix. The above matrix for controlling the flow rate of ink to print letters or text images. Provides a variety of uses. The detailed description of the invention will primarily be directed to liquid or fluid flow using the above valve. Although the present invention relates to flow control in the body, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Radiation control, i.e. passing radiation in a single beam or in a pattern or matrix It also includes control to allow or not to pass, or control to tune the amplitude of the pass.

Copy and translation of written amendment) Submission (Article 184-8 of the Patent Act) September 1, 1992

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. It includes a valve member (10) made of piezoelectric material and electric field applying means (12, 13). an electric flow control valve comprising: means for applying an electric field to the valve member; and is configured to selectively deform the valve member into a valve open state or a valve closed state. Electric flow control valve. 2. When an electric field is applied, the electric field expands or contracts the valve member, causing the valve to open or close. 2. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A claim characterized in that application of an electric field causes the valve to transition from a closed state to an open state. Item 2. The flow control valve according to item 1 or 2. 4. A claim characterized in that application of an electric field causes the valve to transition from an open state to a closed state. Item 2. The flow control valve according to item 1 or 2. 5. A valve member made of a flexible piezoelectric material sheet having a slit (11) shaped valve hole; An electric flow control valve including electric field applying means (12, 13), the valve member being The application of an electric field deforms the piezoelectric material sheet at least locally and opens the slit of the valve hole. An electric flow control valve configured to open or close. 6. The valve hole slit is normally closed, and the application of an electric field causes the valve hole slit to open. The flow control valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: 7. The valve hole slit is normally open, and the application of an electric field causes the valve hole slit to close. The flow control valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: 8. The electric field applying means (12, 13) applies an electric field in the plane direction of the piezoelectric material sheet. The flow control valve according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the flow control valve is disposed in a. 9. The electric field applying means (12, 13) applies an electric field in a direction transverse to the plane of the piezoelectric material sheet. 8. The flow rate according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the flow rate is arranged so as to add to the flow rate. control valve. 10. A single sheet (10) of flexible piezoelectric material according to any one of claims 5 to 9. A structure consisting of a large number of flow control valves. 11. A large number of flow control valves are arranged in a regular matrix on the seat. The structure according to claim 10, characterized in that: 12. The electric field application means (12, 13) are arranged to selectively open or close the valve. The structure according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that it is provided with a. 13. A plurality of flow control valves according to any one of the preceding claims dependent on claim 9. A printing member including a piezoelectric sheet having A flow control valve is arranged to selectively control and print a character image on the surface. Printing materials. 14. A printing ink reservoir and supplying ink from the reservoir to one side of the seat valve member. 14. A printing member according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises means of:. 15. Claim characterized in that the seat valve member forms a wall of the ink reservoir. 15. The printing member according to 14. 16. The electric field applying means (12, 13) defines the tilting angle of the valve member to which the electric field is applied. Each of the above claims includes a conductor disposed on the surface of the valve member. Flow control valve according to any one of. 17. the conductor is in the form of a programmable matrix, thereby 17. The control valve according to claim 16, characterized in that individual addressing of the control valves is possible. Flow control valve. 18. The valve member is made of polyvinylidene fluoride (-CH2CF2- ), the flow rate control according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that Goben. 19. The control valve is characterized in that it can be controlled to an intermediate state between an open state and a closed state. The flow control valve according to any one of the preceding claims. 20. The control valve continuously adjusts the flow rate through the control valve by an electrical control signal. 20. The flow control valve according to claim 19, wherein the flow control valve can be controlled to