JPH07111785A - Wireless actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a wireless actuator without an outer power supply, by using a current or voltage generated from a piezo-electric element that is distorted in a piezo-electric element distortion means. CONSTITUTION:A control unit 3 and a camera 2 is inserted in a pipe 1, and light is cast in the pipe 1 while the quantity of light is changed stronger or weaker by a light-quantity control means 13. The light is condensed by a condenser lens 11 and supplied through an optical fiber 12 to a glass fiber 9, and there heat is generated so that fluorocarbon 8 is vaporized in a moment. Then, the inside pressure of a sealed container 4 increases, and a piezo-electric element 5 expands outward. An electric charge is generated across both electrodes 6 and 7 of the piezo-electric element 5 through a piezo-electric effect and a current is carried at a transformer 16. After the voltage is lowered by the transformer 16, the current is supplied to the camera 2. Since the light is adjusted in quantity by the light-quantity control means 13, the heat can be decreased when the quantity of light is reduced. The temperature in the sealed container 4 is lowered and the fluorocarbon 8 is liquefied. The pressure is lowered and the piezo-electric element 5 returns to an original state. Then, these steps are repeated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless actuator that operates an actuator body without a power line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, inspection or cleaning may be carried out at a portion where it is difficult for a person to work, such as inside a pipe or a complicated minute portion inside a device.

[0003]

However, in the inside of the above-mentioned piping or in the complicated minute portion inside the equipment,
There may be situations where the power cannot be removed. In this case, the inspection operation or the cleaning operation may not be performed because the power cannot be supplied.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wireless actuator that does not require power supply from the outside.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A wireless actuator of the present invention comprises a piezoelectric element having electrodes on both sides where a voltage is generated by strain, a piezoelectric element straining means for straining the piezoelectric element, and this piezoelectric element straining means. And an actuator body that operates based on a current or voltage generated by distorting the piezoelectric element (invention of claim 1).

In this case, the piezoelectric element strain means may be configured to generate a pressure difference between both sides of the electrodes of the piezoelectric element (the invention of claim 2).

Further, the piezoelectric element straining means has a sealed container in which at least one surface is formed of a piezoelectric element and which contains a thermal expansion / contraction material and a light / heat conversion element therein, and light is introduced into the inside from the outside of the sealed container. And light introducing means for
The pressure difference may be generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element by controlling the introduction of light into the closed container (the invention of claim 3).

Further, the piezoelectric element straining means is divided into two parts by a piezoelectric element, the inside of which is sealed with a thermally expansive / contractible substance and a light / heat conversion element, and the inside of the sealed container. It is also possible to provide a light introduction means for introducing light into the inside of the piezoelectric element and alternately control the introduction of the light into the inside of each to generate a pressure difference between both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element. invention).

Further, the piezoelectric element straining means is provided on the wind guide tube forming the ventilation passages on one surface side and the other surface side of the piezoelectric element, and on the windward side portion of the one surface of the piezoelectric element. It is also possible to provide an air flow path resistance member, and to generate a pressure difference between both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element by passing air through the air guide tube (the invention of claim 5).

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the piezoelectric element is distorted by the piezoelectric element straining means to generate a current or voltage in the piezoelectric element. Since the actuator body operates based on this current or voltage, it is possible to operate the actuator body without requiring an external power supply.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element, so that the piezoelectric element can be effectively distorted and current or voltage can be effectively generated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element by controlling the introduction of the light into the closed container, it is possible to obtain the power source of the actuator body by controlling the light. It will be possible.

According to another aspect of the present invention, by alternately controlling the introduction of light into the inside of the closed container divided into two by the piezoelectric element, a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element. It becomes possible to take out an electric current.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element by passing the air into the air guide tube. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the power source of the actuator main body by blowing air.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, an actuator for inspecting the fine inside of the pipe 1 is shown in an enlarged manner. The camera 2, which is the actuator body, includes a camera body 2a, a circuit board 2b, and a drive unit 2c. Power is supplied to the camera 2 from the control unit 3.

The control unit 3 is constructed as follows. That is, a closed container 4 is provided inside the case 3a, and one surface of the closed container 4 is a piezoelectric element (PZ).
T) 5. In the closed container 4, the wall portions other than the piezoelectric element 5 are made of a material having higher rigidity than the piezoelectric element 5, such as titanium. Electrodes 6 and 7 are formed on both inner and outer surfaces of the piezoelectric element 5. Also,
The airtight container 4 is filled with, for example, CFC 8 as a thermal expansion / contraction material and glass fiber 9 having a high heat absorption as a light / heat conversion element.

A transparent member 10a is provided on the wall of the case 3a.
The window portion 10 in which the
A condenser lens 11 is attached inside 0. Further, the condenser lens 11 and the glass fiber 9 in the closed container 4 are connected by an optical fiber 12 as a light introducing means. Further, a light amount control means 13 for controlling the light irradiation amount to the window portion 10 is provided. Then,
The sealed container 4, the Freon 8, the glass fiber 9, the condenser lens 11, the optical fiber 12 and the light quantity control means 13 constitute a piezoelectric element distortion means 14.

Furthermore, the primary side of the step-down transformer 16 is connected to the connection lines 15 and 15 connected to the electrodes 6 and 7 of the piezoelectric element 5, and the secondary side is connected via the connection lines 17 and 17. The electric circuit of the camera 2 is connected.

Now, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
Now, the control unit 3 and the camera 2 are inserted into the pipe 1 by an appropriate method, and the light quantity control means 1 is inserted into the pipe 1.
Irradiate light while changing the intensity according to 3 or intermittently. This light is collected by the condenser lens 11 and supplied to the glass fiber 9 through the optical fiber 12. When light is introduced into the glass fiber 9, heat is generated. Due to this heat, Freon 8 which is a low boiling point fluid is instantly boiled and vaporized.

This increases the pressure in the closed container 4,
As a result, the piezoelectric element 5 is distorted so as to bulge outward. For this reason, an electric charge is generated between both electrodes 6 and 7 of the piezoelectric element 5 due to the piezoelectric effect, and a current flows through the transformer 16. Then, the voltage is reduced by the transformer 16. As a result, electric current is supplied to the camera 2. In this case, since the light quantity is increased / decreased by the light quantity control means 13, the quantity of heat generated is decreased due to the decrease of the light quantity, the temperature in the closed container 4 is lowered, the flon 8 is liquefied and the pressure is lowered, and the piezoelectric element is reduced. 5 returns to the original state. Then, as the amount of light increases, the piezoelectric element 5 is distorted again as described above, and a current is generated. By repeating this, an alternating current is taken out to the secondary side of the transformer 16, and this alternating current power is given to the camera 2 as a power source.

The reason why the voltage is reduced by the transformer 16 will be described below. The voltage generated by the piezoelectric element 5 has a high potential but a small current. Therefore, as it is, sufficient current cannot be taken out to drive the camera 2 which is the actuator body. As a countermeasure against this, a large amount of current can be obtained by lowering the voltage by the step-down transformer 16. This current varies depending on the transformation ratio. For example, if the transformation ratio is 100: 1, the current on the secondary side is 100 times that on the primary side. Further, in this case, the output current from the piezoelectric element 5 is a DC pulsating current, but the provision of the transformer 16 has an advantage that it can be taken out as AC.

In this embodiment, the piezoelectric element strain means 14 distorts the piezoelectric element 5 to generate a current or voltage in the piezoelectric element 5. Since the camera 2 operates based on this current or voltage, the camera 2 can be operated without requiring an external power supply. As a result, it is extremely effective for a microminiature actuator in which the influence of the weight of the wire (power supply line) becomes large.

In particular, since a pressure difference is generated between the electrodes 6 and 7 of the piezoelectric element 5, the piezoelectric element 5 can be effectively distorted and current or voltage can be effectively generated. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the electrodes 6, 7 of the piezoelectric element 5 are controlled by controlling the introduction of light into the closed container 4.
Since a pressure difference is generated between the two sides, the power source of the camera 2 can be obtained relatively easily by adjusting the light. Moreover, the energy cost is extremely low by using light as the energy source.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, the piezoelectric element 22 is provided so as to divide the inside of the closed container 21 into two, and the one closed chamber 2 divided by the piezoelectric element 22.
Corresponding to 1a and the other closed chamber 21b, a CFC 8 and a glass fiber 9 are respectively enclosed, and an optical fiber 12, a window 10 and a condenser lens 1 are respectively provided.
1 and a light quantity control means 13 are provided.

In this embodiment, the light quantity control means 1
By changing the intensity change of light by 3 and 13 or the control of intermittent irradiation to the opposite pattern, the internal pressures of the one closed chamber 21a and the other closed chamber 21b are alternately increased so that the piezoelectric element 5 is distorted from both sides. There is. in this case,
An alternating current can be taken out from the piezoelectric element 22.

3 to 6 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the structure of the piezoelectric element distortion means 31 is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, the piezoelectric element distortion means 31 includes a piezoelectric element 33 inside the air guide tube 32 that allows air to flow in the direction indicated by the arrow A.
Is arranged so as to divide the wind flow into two. In other words, the air guide tubes 32 form ventilation passages on the one surface side and the other surface side of the piezoelectric element 33, respectively.
In this case, one end of the piezoelectric element 33 is rotatably supported by the wind guide tube 32 by the shaft 34, and the other end is slid by the sliding shaft 35 in the elongated hole 32a of the wind guide tube 32 in the direction of arrow A and its direction. It is supported so that it can move in the opposite direction.

Further, an air passage resistance member 36 for closing the lower air passage in the state of FIG. 3 is attached to the windward side of the surface of the piezoelectric element 33 on the side of the electrode 6 which is one surface. Further, on the leeward side of the surface on the side of the electrode 7 which is the other surface, a spacer member 37 having a ventilation hole 37a is attached.

In this embodiment, when air is supplied to the air guide tube 32 as shown in the direction of arrow A, in the state of FIG.
Since the airflow resistance member 36 blocks the flow of the wind, the wind passes over the upper side of the piezoelectric element 33, so that the upper side portion is in a low pressure state, and the piezoelectric element 3 as shown in FIG.
Distort so that 3 bends upwards. Due to this distortion, the piezoelectric element 33 itself closes the ventilation path above the piezoelectric element 33. As a result, this time, the wind comes to pass under the piezoelectric element 33, and the pressure in this portion becomes low. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the piezoelectric element 33 is distorted so as to bend downward. Then, the wind passes through the upper side of the piezoelectric element 33, the upper side is in a low pressure state, and the piezoelectric element 33 is distorted so as to bend downward. By repeating this, an alternating current is generated from the piezoelectric element 33.

In the third embodiment, since a pressure difference is generated between the electrodes 6 and 7 of the piezoelectric element 33 by passing air into the air guide tube 32, it is possible to obtain the power source for the actuator body by blowing air. it can.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention can obtain the following effects. According to the first aspect of the invention, the piezoelectric element is distorted by the piezoelectric element straining means, and the actuator body is operated based on the current or voltage generated thereby, so that power supply from the outside is not required. As a result, it is extremely effective for a microminiature actuator in which the influence of the weight of the wire (power supply line) becomes large.

According to the invention of claim 2, since a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element can be effectively distorted, and an electric current or voltage can be effectively generated. .

According to the third aspect of the invention, since the pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element by controlling the introduction of the light into the closed container, the power supply of the actuator body can be obtained by controlling the light. You can The energy cost can be extremely reduced by using light as the energy source.

According to the invention of claim 4, by alternately controlling the introduction of light into the inside of the sealed container divided into two by the piezoelectric element, a pressure difference is generated between both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element. AC current can be taken out.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since a pressure difference is generated on both sides of the electrodes of the piezoelectric element by passing the air into the air guide tube, it is possible to obtain the power source of the actuator body by blowing air.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a principle configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a principle configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view seen from the direction of arrow XX in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a principle configuration diagram for explaining the operation.

FIG. 6 is a principle configuration diagram for explaining the operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a pipe, 2 is a camera (actuator body), 3 is a control unit, 4 is a closed container, 5 is a piezoelectric element, 6 and 7 are electrodes, 8
Is CFC (thermally expandable / contractible material), 9 is a glass fiber (light / heat conversion element), 12 is an optical fiber (light introducing means), 13 is a light quantity control means, 14 is a piezoelectric element distortion means, 1
6 is a transformer, 21 is a closed container, 22 is a piezoelectric element, 31 is a piezoelectric element distortion means, 32 is a wind guide tube, 33 is a piezoelectric element, 36
Indicates an air passage resistance member.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A piezoelectric element in which electrodes are provided on both surfaces where a voltage is generated by strain, a piezoelectric element straining means for straining the piezoelectric element, and a piezoelectric element straining means for straining the piezoelectric element. And a main body of an actuator that operates based on a current or a voltage. 2. The wireless actuator according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element straining means is configured to generate a pressure difference on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element. 3. The piezoelectric element strain means has at least one surface formed of a piezoelectric element, and internally has a thermal expansion / contraction material and light.
Both sides of the electrodes of the piezoelectric element are controlled by controlling the introduction of light into the closed container, which includes a closed container in which the heat conversion element is enclosed and a light introducing unit for introducing light into the closed container from the outside. The wireless actuator according to claim 2, wherein the wireless actuator is configured to generate a pressure difference between the two. 4. The piezoelectric element straining means is divided into two parts by a piezoelectric element, and the inside of each is divided by a thermal expansion / contraction material and light.
A heat-sealing element is enclosed in a hermetically sealed container, and light introducing means for introducing light from the outside of the hermetically sealed container into the respective interiors,
By alternately controlling the introduction of light into each interior,
The wireless actuator according to claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric actuator is configured to generate a pressure difference on both sides of the electrode of the piezoelectric element. 5. The piezoelectric element straining means is provided on an air guide tube that forms an air passage on each of one surface side and the other surface side of the piezoelectric element, and on the windward side of one surface of the piezoelectric element. The wireless actuator according to claim 2, further comprising: an air passage resistance member, which is configured to generate a pressure difference between both sides of an electrode of the piezoelectric element by passing air through the air guide tube.