JPH0625540U - Forced actuation type thermo-element - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The objective is to be able to forcibly heat and cool a thermal expansion body, with good responsiveness and sealability, and capable of withstanding high loads. A thermoelement having a built-in thermal expansion body 1 that expands and contracts according to a change in temperature of a detected object, and a working element that operates by a change in volume of the thermal expansion body. It is characterized in that the n-type semiconductor 12 and the p-type semiconductor 13 are arranged so as to be in direct contact with the outer surface of the flexible sensor case 2, and the sensor case 2 is configured as an electronic cooling element capable of heating and cooling. .

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a thermoelement that operates when a temperature of a detected object changes, and relates to a forced actuation type thermoelement that forcibly heats and cools a thermal expansion body of the thermoelement to operate an actuating part.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Generally, a thermoelement has a built-in thermal expansion body that expands and contracts according to the temperature change of the detected object, and activates the operating part by the volume change of the thermal expansion body. There is a forced actuation type thermo-element that heats or cools the actuating part and is used as an actuator for control equipment such as automobile auto chokes.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 4, a forced actuation type thermoelement includes a sensor case 52 containing a thermal expansion body 51 such as wax that expands and contracts due to a temperature change, and a guide body 54 containing an operating portion 53. It comprises a diaphragm 55 and a semi-fluid body 56 for transmitting a change in volume of the thermal expansion body 51 to the operating portion 53, and a heating device 60 having a PTC thermistor 61 for heating the sensor case 52.

The sensor case 52 and the guide body 54 are connected by fitting or caulking the connecting portion 52a of the sensor case 52 and the connecting portion 54a of the guide body 54, and between the connecting portion 52a and the connecting portion 54a. A diaphragm 55 is interposed, and a semi-fluid body 56 is provided between the diaphragm 55 and the operating portion 53. The operating portion 53 is composed of a rubber piston 53a, a resin plate 53b, and a piston rod 53c.

In the heating device 60, electrode plates 62 and 63 are arranged at both ends of a PTC thermistor 61, and the electrode plates 62 and 63 and a power source 64 are connected by electric wires 62 a and 63 a, and the bottom surface of the sensor case 52 is connected. A PTC thermistor 61 is attached to the above with an electrode plate 62 interposed.

When a current is applied to the PTC thermistor 61, the PTC thermistor 61 generates heat in the forced actuation type thermoelement, and the heat is transmitted to the thermal expansion body 51 via the electrode plate 62 and the sensor case 52. As a result, the thermal expansion body 51 expands and its volume changes, and the diaphragm 55 deforms so as to project upward. Due to this deformation of the diaphragm 55, the semi-fluid body 56 is compressed and pushed up, and the piston rod 53c extends through the rubber piston 53a and the resin plate 53b and projects from the tip of the guide body 54.

On the contrary, when the electric current is stopped from flowing through the PTC thermistor 61, the thermal expansion body 51 contracts due to natural cooling to change its volume, and the diaphragm 55 is deformed so as to return. Due to the deformation of the diaphragm 55, the compressive force to the semi-fluid body 56 is lost, and the piston rod 53c is retracted by the unillustrated return spring and returned to the inside of the guide body 54.

Further, there is a forced operation type thermo-element for forcibly heating and cooling the thermal expansion body. As shown in FIG. 5, this includes a thermal expansion body 71 such as wax which expands and contracts due to temperature change. It includes a case 72 that is built in, a piston guide 73 and a piston rod 74 that are attached so as to project from the case 72, and a heating and cooling device 90 that includes an electronic cooling element 80 that heats and cools the thermal expansion body 71.

The electronic cooling element 80 is formed by joining an n-type semiconductor 81 and a p-type semiconductor 82 with a metal plate 83. A metal plate 83 is provided in a hole formed in the bottom of the case 71 so that the metal plate 83 contacts the thermal expansion body 71. The electronic cooling element 80 is incorporated. The heating / cooling device 90 includes a cooling circuit 91 for cooling the metal plate 83 of the electronic cooling element 80 and a heating circuit 92 for heating the metal plate 83, and 93 in the figure is a power supply.

In this forced operation type thermoelement, when the thermal expansion element 71 is heated by the electronic cooling element 80, the piston rod 74 expands due to the volume change of the thermal expansion element 71 and protrudes from the tip of the piston guide 73. On the contrary, when the thermal expansion body 71 is cooled by the electronic cooling element 80, the volume change of the thermal expansion body 71 eliminates the pressing force to the piston rod 74, and the piston rod 74 contracts due to a return spring (not shown) or the like. It was supposed to be returned inside the guide 73.

[0011]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, according to the above conventional technique, there are the following problems. In the case of using a PTC thermistor, when the PTC thermistor is used to heat the thermal expansion body, it can only be heated indirectly from the outside of the sensor case containing the thermal expansion body, so the response up to operation is slow, Poor responsiveness. Also, the cooling time is significantly slower than the heating time because forced cooling is not possible.

Further, in the case where the electronic cooling element is used, the thermal expansion body can be directly heated and cooled by the electronic cooling element, but the internal pressure of a normal thermoelement is a high pressure of MAX 80 to 100 Kgf / cm ² . In many cases, the structure is such that a hole is formed in a case containing a thermal expansion body, an electronic cooling element is installed in the hole, and a metal plate that serves as a heating / cooling unit is brought into contact with the thermal expansion body. It becomes very difficult to maintain sex.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a forced actuation type thermo-element capable of forcibly heating and cooling a thermal expansion body, having good responsiveness and sealing performance, and capable of withstanding high loads. Especially.

[0014]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention has the following configuration to solve the above problems. In a thermoelement that has a built-in thermal expansion body that expands and contracts according to the temperature change of the detected object, and has an operating part that operates according to the volume change of the thermal expansion body, a metallic sensor case that contains the thermal expansion body. The n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor were arranged so as to be in direct contact with the outer surface of, and the sensor case was a forced-acting type thermo-element configured as an electronic cooling element capable of heating and cooling.

[0015]

[Work]

 According to the present invention, it operates as follows. Since the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor are arranged so as to be in direct contact with the outer surface of the metallic sensor case containing the thermal expansion body, and the sensor case is configured as an electronic cooling element capable of heating and cooling, The sensor case serves as a heating unit or a cooling unit, and the thermal expansion body can be directly heated and cooled by passing a current in the electronic cooling element in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

[0016]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 of the drawings is a sectional view of a forced actuation type thermoelement showing the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a forced actuation type thermoelement showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a forced actuation showing the third embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view of a type thermoelement.

First, the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the forced operation type thermo-element A has a metallic sensor case 2 containing a thermal expansion body 1 such as wax which expands and contracts due to a temperature change, a guide body 4 accommodating an operating portion 3, The thermal expansion body 1 is composed of a diaphragm 5 and a semi-fluid body 6 that transmit a volume change to the actuation unit 3, and is arranged so that the n-type semiconductor 12 and the p-type semiconductor 13 are in direct contact with the outer surface of the sensor case 2. The sensor case 2 is configured as an electronic cooling element 11 capable of heating and cooling.

The sensor case 2 is a copper case having a bottomed cylindrical shape, and has a connecting portion 2a provided on the outer peripheral edge portion on the opening side. The connecting portion 2a is provided on the proximal end side of the substantially cylindrical guide body 4. It is connected to the provided connecting portion 4a by fitting or caulking. A diaphragm 5 is interposed between the connecting portion 2a and the connecting portion 4a, and a fluid 6 is interposed between the diaphragm 5 and the operating portion 3. The operating portion 3 seals the semi-fluid body 6 that converts the displacement amount due to the deformation of the diaphragm 5 into a stroke, and also transmits the operation of the rubber piston 3a to the piston rod 3c and the rubber piston 3a that is actuated by the semi-fluid body 6. It is composed of a resin plate 3b.

The diaphragm 5 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and is composed of a plate-shaped or film-shaped main body 5a and a mounting portion 5b projecting upward, and the mounting portion 5b is integrally provided on the outer peripheral edge of the main body 5a. There is. The upper portion of the mounting portion 5a is adapted to fit into the recess formed in the connecting portion 4a of the guide body 4, and is brought into pressure contact with the connecting portion 2a of the sensor case 2 and the connecting portion 4a of the guide body 4 for thermal expansion. It is mounted so as to prevent leakage of the body 1 and the fluid 6.

The electronic cooling element 11 is provided on the bottom surface of the sensor case 2, and is housed in an insulating case 16 so as to partition the n-type semiconductor 12 arranged on the left side and the p-type semiconductor 13 arranged on the right side. ing. One end surface of the n-type semiconductor 12 is in direct contact with the bottom surface of the sensor case 2, and the other end surface is provided with a copper plate 14. One end surface of the p-type semiconductor 13 is also in direct contact with the bottom surface of the sensor case 2, and a copper plate 15 is provided on the other end surface. A power supply circuit 20 is connected to the electronic cooling element 11, and the power supply circuit 20 switches a cooling circuit 21 having a DC power supply D1 and a heating circuit 22 having a DC power supply D2 by a switch S. .

In this electronic cooling element 11, when the switch S of the power supply circuit 20 is switched from the 0FF state to the cooling circuit 21 side, current flows from the copper plate 14 through the n-type semiconductor 12 and the sensor case 2 to the p-type semiconductor 13 and the copper plate 15. The sensor case 2 is cooled, and the thermal expansion body 1 is directly cooled. Further, when the switch S is switched to the heating circuit 22 side, current flows from the copper plate 15 to the n-type semiconductor 12 and the copper plate 14 via the p-type semiconductor 13 and the sensor case 2. The sensor case 2 is heated and the thermal expansion body 1 is directly heated.

In this forced operation type thermoelement A, when the thermal expansion element 1 is heated by the electronic cooling element 11, the thermal expansion element 1 expands, and the main body 5 a of the diaphragm 5 projects upward due to the volume change of the thermal expansion element 1. Transform to do. Due to the deformation of the diaphragm 5, the semi-fluid body 6 is compressed and pushed up, and the piston rod 3c extends through the rubber piston 3a and the resin plate 3b and projects from the tip of the guide body 4.

On the contrary, when the thermal expansion body 1 is cooled by the electronic cooling element 11, the thermal expansion body 1 contracts, and the volume change of the thermal expansion body 1 causes the main body 5 a of the diaphragm 5 to be restored. Due to the deformation of the diaphragm 5, the compressive force applied to the semi-fluid body 6 disappears, and the piston rod 3c retracts and is returned into the guide body 4 by a return spring (not shown).

As described above, the n-type semiconductor 12 and the p-type semiconductor 13 are brought into direct contact with and bonded to the sensor case 2, so that the sensor case 2 serves as a cooling section or a heating section of the electronic cooling element 11. The expander 1 can be directly heated and cooled, and the responsiveness can be improved. Further, since the n-type semiconductor 12 and the p-type semiconductor 13 may be provided in contact with the outer surface of the bottom of the sensor case 12, it is not necessary to perform processing such as forming a hole in the sensor case 12, and the sealing performance is improved. It can be improved and can withstand high loads. Further, since the n-type semiconductor 12 and the p-type semiconductor 13 may be provided on the thermoelement having the conventional structure, the thermoelement having the conventional structure can be used as it is, and the cost can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. The same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted, and only different portions will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the thermoelectric cooling element 31 of the forced operation type thermoelement B is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sensor case 2, the n-type semiconductor 32 is arranged on the left side, and the p-type semiconductor 33 is arranged on the right side. It is joined by the sensor case 2. One end surface of the n-type semiconductor 32 is in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sensor case 2, and a copper plate 34 is provided on the other end surface. One end surface of the p-type semiconductor 33 is also in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sensor case 2, and a copper plate 35 is provided on the other end surface. The forced actuation type thermoelement B operates in the same manner as the forced actuation type thermoelement A described above.

Next, a third embodiment will be described. The same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted, and only different portions will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the forced-actuation type thermoelement C includes the above-mentioned forced-actuation type thermoelement A, a normal thermoelement E, and a substantially U-shaped connecting rod 40. The bottom of the sensor case 2 of the thermoelement E is brought into contact with the copper plate 15 of the electronic cooling element 11 of each of the above, and the piston rods 3c of the respective operating portions 3 are arranged pointwise so as to have the same operating direction. The tip is connected by a connecting rod 40.

When the sensor case 2 generates heat, the electronic cooling element 11 of the above-mentioned forced operation type thermo-element A has a property of absorbing the heat of the copper plates 14 and 15 on the opposite side, so that the ambient temperature decreases. In other words, it becomes cooling. When the flow of current is reversed, the copper plates 14, 15 generate heat and the sensor case 2 is cooled. Since the electronic cooling element 11 operates in this way, by combining the forced actuation type thermoelement A and the thermoelement E as described above, the actuating portion 3 can be returned to the return position after actuation without the need for a return spring.

Further, in the forced-actuation type thermoelement A, the lift was lowered by the force of the return spring after energization, but the forced-actuation type thermoelement A and the thermoelement E were in a balanced state, so the current was stopped. Even if the lift does not change, the lift can be stopped at any position. In addition, lowering the lift is done by reversing the current flow, which allows more delicate control.

[0029]

[Effect of device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. Since the sensor case serves as a heating unit or a cooling unit, it is possible to directly heat and cool the thermal expansion body, improving responsiveness. Further, since it is not necessary to perform processing such as forming a hole in the sensor case, it is possible to improve the sealing property and withstand a high load.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a forced actuation type thermoelement showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a forced actuation type thermoelement showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a forced actuation type thermoelement showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional example using a PTC thermistor.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional example using an electronic cooling element.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A, B, C: Forced operation type thermoelements D1, D2: DC power supply S: Switch 1: Thermal expansion body 2: Sensor case 3: Actuating part 4: Guide body 5: Diaphragm 6: Semi-fluid body 11: Electronic cooling element 12, 32: n-type semiconductor 13, 33: p-type semiconductor 14, 15, 34, 35: copper plate 16: case 20: power supply circuit 21: cooling circuit 22: heating circuit

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A thermoelement having a built-in thermal expansion body that expands and contracts according to a change in temperature of a detected body, and an actuating portion that operates according to a change in volume of the thermal expansion body, wherein a metal containing the thermal expansion body is included. Force-operated thermostat, wherein an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor are arranged so as to be in direct contact with the outer surface of a flexible sensor case, and the sensor case is configured as an electronic cooling element capable of heating and cooling. element.