TW202227737A - Fluid Control Valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid control valve, which is provided with a piezoelectric element and a mechanical amplifier for amplifying the displacement of the piezoelectric element, and can reduce the shearing force applied to the piezoelectric element. A fluid control valve is provided with: a housing having an inner chamber and an opening serving as a fluid inlet/outlet; a piezoelectric element capable of expanding and contracting along an expansion and contraction axis; and a mechanical amplifier that amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element and moves a valve portion that opens and closes the opening, the mechanical amplifier including: a support portion that is provided in the housing and is connected to one axial end of the telescopic shaft of the piezoelectric element; a displacement part coupled to the other axial end of the piezoelectric element; an arm which is connected at one end to the displacement section, is connected at an intermediate section to the support section via a deformable amplifier hinge section, and opens and closes the one opening at the other end; and a balance mechanism that applies a load in an opposite direction to a load applied to the displacement portion in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic axis due to the extension of the piezoelectric element.

Description

Fluid Control Valve

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a fluid control valve for switching or adjusting the flow of the flow path.

Background of the Invention An electrical switching valve for switching the flow direction of a fluid is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The electric switching valve of Patent Document 1 is a spool type switching valve, and a spool liquid chamber is formed on both sides of the spool. The spool liquid chambers are respectively connected with nozzles connected to discharge flow paths connected to tank lines.

Each of the discharge passages is provided with an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the nozzle. The opening and closing mechanism includes a laminated piezoelectric element (electrostrictive element) and a mechanical amplifier (displacement amplifying mechanism) that amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element. The mechanical amplifier has a support arm fixed to the housing of the electric switching valve, and an L-shaped handle connected to the support arm through a hinge. The handle closes the nozzle at one end and is connected to the piezoelectric element at the other end.

When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element expands, and the handle rotates around the hinge to open the nozzle. After the nozzle is opened, the spool liquid chamber on one side communicates with the tank line through the discharge flow path, and the hydraulic pressure in the spool liquid chamber is discharged. Thereby, the hydraulic pressure of the two spool liquid chambers is different, the spool moves, and the flow direction of the fluid is switched.

By configuring the opening and closing mechanism using piezoelectric elements in this way, it becomes possible to respond at a higher speed than a solenoid-type opening and closing mechanism. In addition, since opening and closing is performed using one L-shaped handle, the size of the electric switching valve can be reduced compared to the case of using a plurality of handles or the case of using a linear handle.

prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Official Gazette No. 3-43501

Summary of Invention The problem to be solved by the invention In the electric switching valve of Patent Document 1, when the piezoelectric element is extended, the handle rotates substantially around the hinge, so that the connecting portion between the handle and the support arm moves substantially along an arc centered on the hinge. Therefore, a load of a component having a direction orthogonal to the elongation direction is applied to the joint portion of the piezoelectric element and the handle. Among these loads, a component in a direction orthogonal to the elongation direction acts as a shearing force on the piezoelectric element, so that the load is applied to the piezoelectric element, and there is a possibility that the durability of the electromagnetic switching valve may decrease.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the shear force applied to the piezoelectric element in a fluid control valve including a piezoelectric element and a mechanical amplifier that amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element.

means of solving problems A fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing (12), an inner chamber (40), and at least two fluid inlets and outlets that communicate with the inner chamber. openings (A, P); a piezoelectric element (44), which can expand and contract along a predetermined expansion and contraction axis (X); and a mechanical amplifier (54), which amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element to make at least one of the openings open and close the opening. The valve part (84) is displaced, and the mechanical amplifier comprises: a support part (60), which is provided on the housing and is connected to one end of the telescopic shaft of the piezoelectric element in the axial direction; a displacement part (66) is combined with the above-mentioned The other end of the piezoelectric element in the axial direction; the arm (64) is connected to the displacement part at one end, connected to the support part at the middle part through a deformable amplifier hinge part (62), and opens and closes the opening at the other end and a balance mechanism (68) for applying a load opposite to a load applied to the displacement portion in a direction orthogonal to the expansion and contraction axis due to the elongation of the piezoelectric element.

The displacement portion coupled to the piezoelectric element generates displacement, and the displacement is input to one end of the arm connected to the displacement portion. By the so-called lever principle with the hinge part of the amplifier as a fulcrum, the displacement of one end side is amplified and output to the other end of the arm to open the opening. At this time, since the one end of the arm is displaced in a direction offset from the axial direction of the telescopic shaft, a load is applied to the other end of the piezoelectric element in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction through the displacement portion due to this displacement, and There is a concern that shear force is applied to the piezoelectric element.

According to the above configuration, when a load having a component in a direction orthogonal to the expansion-contraction axis is applied to the displacement portion, the load is applied from the balance mechanism to cancel the component. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a load from being transmitted to the other end of the piezoelectric element in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction through the displacement portion, and to reduce the shear force to the piezoelectric element in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction.

In the above fluid control valve, it is more desirable that the balance mechanism comprises a dummy arm (80) coupled to the displacement portion, and a deformable balance hinge portion (82) coupled to the dummy arm and the support portion, the aforementioned The joint portion of the arm and the displacement portion and the joint portion of the pseudo arm and the displacement portion are opposed to each other across the telescopic shaft.

According to this configuration, the displacement portion pair arm and the balance hinge portion are coupled at positions opposed to each other across the telescopic shaft. Therefore, when a load having a component in a direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis applied from the arm is applied to the displacement portion through the balance hinge portion, a load opposite to the component can be applied.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (10), it is more preferable that the support portion includes a first support portion (60B) and a second support portion (60B) extending in the direction of the expansion and contraction shaft and arranged at positions facing each other across the piezoelectric element. A support portion (60C), the amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, the balance hinge portion has a cross-section of the same shape as the amplifier hinge portion, and extends from the second support portion along the telescopic shaft The displacement portion has a cap portion (72) coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element, a first axial extension portion (74) extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, and extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connecting with the arm. The cap portion extends along the telescopic shaft and is connected to the second axial direction extending portion (76) of the dummy arm, the displacement portion is axially symmetrical with respect to the telescopic shaft, and in the axial direction, the base end of the balance hinge portion (82A) is located on the one end side of the piezoelectric element rather than the base end (62A) of the amplifier hinge portion.

According to this configuration, the base end of the balance hinge portion and the base end of the amplifier hinge portion are positioned to be aligned in the axial direction of the telescopic shaft, and through the balance hinge portion, the force applied from the arm perpendicular to the expansion and contraction can be more offset. The load in the direction of the shaft is used to apply a load to the displacement part.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (210), it is more preferable that the support portion includes a first support portion (60B) and a second support portion (60B) extending in the direction of the telescopic shaft and arranged at positions opposite to each other across the piezoelectric element. A support portion (60C), the amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, the balance hinge portion has a cross-section of the same shape as the amplifier hinge portion, and extends from the second support portion along the telescopic shaft The displacement portion has a cap portion (72) coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element, a first axial direction extending portion (74) extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, and extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connecting with the arm. The cap portion extends along the telescopic shaft and is connected to the second axial direction extending portion (76) of the dummy arm, and the base end (82A) of the balance hinge portion is located at the base end of the amplifier hinge portion in the axial direction. (62A) The position of alignment is that the side edge of the arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element is located more on the side edge of the piezoelectric element than the side edge of the pseudo arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element. the other side.

According to this configuration, it is possible to pass the balance when the side edge of the arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element and the side edge of the pseudo arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element are aligned in the axial direction of the telescopic shaft. The hinge portion applies a load to the displacement portion so as to more offset the load applied from the arm in a direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (310), it is more preferable that the support portion includes a first support portion (60B) and a second support portion (60B) extending in the direction of the telescopic shaft and arranged at positions opposite to the piezoelectric element. A support portion (60C), the amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, the balance hinge portion extends from the second support portion along the telescopic shaft, and the displacement portion is coupled to the piezoelectric element The cap portion (72) at the other end of the cap portion, a first axial extension portion (74) extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the The second axial direction extension portion (76) of the dummy arm, the displacement portion is axially symmetrical with respect to the telescopic shaft, and the base end (82A) of the balance hinge portion is located at the base of the amplifier hinge portion in the axial direction. In the position where the ends ( 62A) are aligned, the cross-sectional area of the aforementioned balance hinge is different in one part from the other part.

According to this configuration, by adjusting the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge portion, a load can be applied to the displacement portion through the balance hinge portion so as to more offset the load applied from the arm in the direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis.

In the fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410), it is more preferable that the buckling point (P2) of the balance hinge portion and the buckling point (P1) of the amplifier hinge portion are centered on the telescopic shaft Axisymmetric.

According to this configuration, compared to the case where the buckling point of the balance hinge portion and the buckling point of the amplifier hinge portion are not axisymmetric about the telescopic axis, the balance hinge portion can more offset the force applied from the arm orthogonal to the telescopic axis The load in the direction of the load is applied to the displacement part.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410), it is more desirable that a partition wall (94) is provided in the casing, and the partition wall (94) divides the inner chamber to accommodate the above-mentioned The first space (90, 190) of the piezoelectric element, and the second space (92, 192) including a passage connecting the two openings.

According to this configuration, the inner chamber can be divided into the first space in which the piezoelectric element is installed, and the second space in which the fluid flows through the two through holes. Therefore, intrusion of the fluid into the space in which the piezoelectric element is installed can be prevented, and protection of the piezoelectric element can be achieved.

In the fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410), it is preferable that the partition wall includes a wall body (30D, 126A, 126B, 126D) that defines an arm passage (32A, 32A, 126D) through which the arm passes. 130); and a sealing member (70, 170) disposed between the arm and the wall delimiting the passage, and elastically deformable.

According to this configuration, since the space between the arm and the passage is sealed by the elastically deformable sealing member, the arm can be displaced in a state where the inner chamber is divided into the first space and the second space. Furthermore, the vibration generated by the arm can be damped by the sealing member.

In the fluid control valve (10, 210, 310, 410), it is preferable that the wall body includes a through hole (32) defining the arm passage, and the sealing member is provided on the wall surface defining the through hole. and the aforementioned arm.

According to this configuration, the inner chamber can be divided into the first space and the second space, and the arm can be made displaceable.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (110), it is preferable that the wall body cooperates with a wall surface that defines the inner chamber to define the arm passage, and the sealing member (170) is provided on the wall body and the wall surface. Between the wall surface of the inner chamber and the arm is defined.

According to this configuration, the inner chamber can be divided into the first space and the second space, and the arm can be made displaceable.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410), it is preferable that the first space communicates with the outside of the housing through the connector hole (42) at a position aligned with the connector hole , is provided with a connector (C) for supplying a voltage to the aforementioned piezoelectric element.

According to this configuration, the connector can be easily assembled, and it is not necessary to use a connector hole having a sealing function, so that the size of the fluid control valve can be reduced.

In the above-mentioned fluid control valve (10, 110, 210, 310, 410), it is preferable that an elastic valve body is integrally formed on the one end of the arm.

According to this configuration, the opening can be more reliably closed by the valve body.

In the fluid control valve (410) described above, it is preferable that a valve seat (52) formed of an elastic body is provided in the opening opened and closed by the arm.

According to this configuration, the opening can be more reliably closed by the valve body.

Invention effect According to the present invention, in the fluid control valve including the piezoelectric element and the mechanical amplifier that amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element, it is possible to reduce the shear force applied to the piezoelectric element.

Form for carrying out the invention Hereinafter, the fluid control valve of the present invention is used in order to control the connection state of a plurality of ports which each define a flow path. Hereinafter, four embodiments in which the present invention is applied to a fluid control valve for controlling the connection state of two ports will be described. In the following description, the up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions are conveniently defined following the arrows shown in FIG. 1 .

<<First Embodiment>> As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid control valve 10 of 1st Embodiment has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape which has the surface which faces each direction of an up-down, front-back, and left-right. The upper surface of the fluid control valve 10 is provided with a supply port P serving as an inlet of a fluid such as compressed air, and an output port A serving as an outlet of the fluid. The supply port P and the output port A are arranged in a left-right arrangement.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the fluid control valve 10 has a substantially rectangular housing 12 . The casing 12 is constituted by a casing body 14 constituting its front lower half, an upper member 16 constituting its upper half, and a cover member 18 constituting its rear lower half.

The upper member 16 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending right and left, and includes two port through holes 20L and 20R penetrating up and down. The two port through-holes 20L and 20R are arranged side by side. The output port A is defined by the upper end opening of the left port through hole 20L, and the supply port P is defined by the upper end opening of the right port through hole 20R.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 3 , the upper member 16 is provided on the first upper member 16U by a first upper member 16U constituting its upper portion, a second upper member 16D constituting its lower portion, and and the cylindrical member 22 between the second upper member 16D. Two through-holes 24LU and 24RU ( 24LD and 24RD ) penetrating in the vertical direction are provided on the left and right sides of the first upper member 16U (second upper member 16D). The two through holes 24LU and 24RU of the first upper member 16U and the through hole 24RD on the right side of the second upper member 16D are each circular, and the through hole 24LD on the left side of the second upper member 16D is an elongated hole extending in the left-right direction shape.

The cylindrical member 22 has a cylindrical shape including an inner hole 22A penetrating vertically. The inner hole 22A has an elongated hole-shaped cross section extending in the left-right direction. The cylindrical member 22 is accommodated in the through hole 24LD on the left side of the second upper member 16D. The first upper member 16U and the second upper member 16D are fastened together to the upper surface of the case body 14 and are coupled to the upper surface of the case body 14 . At this time, the left through hole 24LU of the first upper member 16U and the left through hole 24LD of the second upper member 16D are vertically aligned to constitute the left port through hole 20L and the right through hole of the first upper member 16U. 24RU and the through-hole 24RD on the right side of the second upper member 16D are vertically aligned to constitute the through-hole 20R for ports on the right side.

As shown in FIG. 2(A) , the cylindrical member 22 is accommodated in the through hole 24LD on the left side of the second upper member 16D with its lower end protruding further downward than the lower surface of the second upper member 16D. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical member 22 is constituted by a metal member.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the case main body 14 includes a main body upper portion 26 constituting the upper portion thereof, and a main main body lower portion 28 extending downward from the lower front portion of the main body upper portion 26 . The upper part 26 of the main body is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped extending in the left-right direction. The upper surface of the main body upper part 26 is provided with an upper-side concave portion 30 which has a rectangular opening and is recessed downward. As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 3 , the right edge of the bottom wall 30D (lower wall) of the upper concave portion 30 is provided with a through hole 32 penetrating up and down.

The main body lower portion 28 has a rectangular plate shape having a main surface facing the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 4 , the rear surface of the lower part 28 of the main body is provided with a receiving recess 34 which is recessed forward. Like the housing recess 34 , it is recessed forward and extends from the lower right edge of the housing recess 34 . The groove portion 36 extending downward.

The cover member 18 has a plate shape having a surface facing the front-rear direction. The cover member 18 is in the shape of a rectangular plate aligned with the lower portion 28 of the main body, and is fastened to the rear surface of the lower portion 28 of the main body. At the position where the lower right edge of the cover member 18 is aligned with the groove portion 36 , there is provided a notch portion 38 that is short of a square shape in the upward direction.

The accommodating recess 34 of the housing body 14 is closed by the cover member 18, and the upper member 16 is fastened to the upper surface of the housing body 14, and the interior of the housing 12 is formed to connect to the two port through-holes 20L, 20R ( That is, the inner chamber 40 connected to the supply port P and the output port A). As shown in FIG. 3 , the inner chamber 40 communicates with the outside through the groove portion 36 . That is, by providing the groove portion 36 , the housing 12 is formed with a connector hole 42 that allows the inner chamber 40 to communicate with the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 4 , the inner chamber 40 accommodates the piezoelectric element 44 , the valve body 46 abutting against the lower end of the cylindrical member 22 to close the lower end of the left port through-hole 20L, and pressing the pressure The displacement of the electrical element 44 is communicated to the plate 48 of the valve body 46 .

The piezoelectric element 44 is a multilayer piezoelectric actuator configured by stacking a plurality of piezoelectric bodies 44A, and in the present embodiment, the stacking direction of the piezoelectric bodies 44A is arranged in the left-right direction. Electrodes are provided between the piezoelectric bodies 44A. The electrodes between the piezoelectric bodies 44A are respectively connected to corresponding positive or negative terminals provided on the side surfaces of the piezoelectric element 44 . The terminals are respectively connected with wirings 50 . When a predetermined voltage is applied between the two wirings 50, the piezoelectric body 44A is deformed, and the piezoelectric element 44 is elongated in the stacking direction. When the voltage becomes zero, the piezoelectric element 44 contracts and returns to its original size.

The piezoelectric element 44 has a flat plate shape extending in the lamination direction. The piezoelectric element 44 is arranged so that the main surface faces the front-rear direction, and the lamination direction (ie, the expansion-contraction direction) is the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the axis which passes through the center of the piezoelectric element 44 and extends in the stacking direction (left-right direction) is referred to as the expansion-contraction axis X. The piezoelectric element 44 is vertically symmetrical about the telescopic axis X as the center. The piezoelectric element 44 is elongated along the expansion-contraction axis X when no load is applied or only a load along the expansion-contraction axis X is applied.

The wiring 50 connected to the piezoelectric element 44 is connected to the connector C. As shown in FIG. The connector C is accommodated in the groove portion 36 at the lower side of the connector hole 42 , and is coupled to the front surface of the housing body 14 .

The valve body 46 is a sheet-like member made of an elastically deformable resin (elastomer), and abuts against the lower end of the cylindrical member 22 to close the cylindrical member 22 . That is, the lower end of the cylindrical member 22 constitutes a portion that receives the valve body 46 , that is, the valve seat 52 . In the present embodiment, the valve body 46 is formed integrally with the plate 48 by cutting out a rectangular shape from an elastically deformable resin sheet, and melting the cut sheet-like member to the plate 48 .

The plate member 48 is a metal plate-like member processed into a predetermined shape, and is formed of a low-expansion alloy (invar) in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the plate member 48 is press-formed from a single metal plate, or is manufactured by wire-cut electrical discharge machining.

The plate 48 functions as a so-called mechanical amplifier 54 (displacement amplifying mechanism) that amplifies (amplifies) the displacement amount generated at the end of the piezoelectric element 44 and transmits it to the valve body 46 . Hereinafter, the structure of the plate member 48 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B).

The plate 48 includes: a support portion 60 fixed to the housing 12 and supporting the piezoelectric element 44 , an arm 64 connected to the support portion 60 through the amplifier hinge portion 62 , a displacement portion 66 connecting the piezoelectric element 44 and the arm 64 , and a balance mechanism 68.

The support portion 60 includes a rectangular plate-shaped support base portion 60A extending in the up-down direction, and a rectangular plate-shaped first support column portion 60B (first support column portion 60B) extending from the upper end of the support base portion 60A in the right direction (direction of the telescopic axis X). part), a rectangular plate-shaped second support column part 60C (second support part) extending from the lower end of the support base part 60A in the extending direction of the first support column part 60B (axial direction of the telescopic axis X, right direction). In the center of the right edge of the support base 60A, a support protrusion protruding rightward in a rectangular plate shape is provided. The left end of the piezoelectric element 44 (one end in the axial direction of the expansion-contraction axis X) is connected to the right end of the support protrusion. The first support column part 60B and the second support column part 60C are respectively provided with through holes, and are fastened to the bottom surface (front surface) of the accommodating recess 34 of the housing body 14 by fasteners (screws). Thereby, the support part 60 is fixed to the casing 12 .

The left edge of the 1st support column part 60B and the 2nd support column part 60C is provided in the vertically aligned position. In the present embodiment, the length in the left-right direction (the axial direction of the telescopic axis X) of the first support column portion 60B is longer than the length in the left-right direction of the second support column portion 60C, and the right edge of the first support column portion 60B is longer than the second support column portion 60B. The right edge of the support column part 60C is also located on the right side (that is, the right edge of the second support column part 60C is located on the left side of the first support column part 60B).

The arm 64 includes an arm base 64A extending in the vertical direction, an arm extension 64B extending from the upper end of the arm base 64A in the left-right direction (leftward in the drawing), and an arm base end extending downward from the right end of the lower edge of the arm base 64A 64C, and it is L-shaped when viewed from the front and rear. The valve body 46 is provided on the upper surface of the left end (extended end, or called the free end) of the arm 64 . As shown in FIG. 2(A) , the arm base end portion 64C and the left end portion of the arm extension portion 64B constitute both end portions of the arm 64 , and the arm base portion 64A is located at the middle portion of the arm 64 .

As shown in FIG. 2(A) , the arm base portion 64A passes through the through hole 32 provided in the wall body (the bottom wall 30D of the upper concave portion 30 ). In other words, the arm base portion 64A passes through the inside of the passage for the arm (the arm passage 32A) defined by the through hole 32 . Between the outer peripheral surface of 64A of arm bases, and the wall surface which defines the through-hole 32, the sealing member 70 which seals this clearance gap is provided.

The amplifier hinge portion 62 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction. The vertical width (direction orthogonal to the extending direction) of the amplifier hinge portion 62 is larger than the vertical width of the first support column portion 60B, the vertical width of the second support column portion 60C, and the left-right direction of the arm base 64A. Any one of the widths is smaller, and can be deformed more easily than any one of the first support column portion 60B, the second support column portion 60C, and the arm base portion 64A. Specifically, the amplifier hinge portion 62 connects the lower right end portion of the first support column portion 60B and the lower left end portion of the arm base portion 64A.

As shown in FIG. 2(B) , the displacement portion 66 includes a cap portion 72 coupled to the right end of the piezoelectric element 44 , and a second portion extending rightward (that is, along the telescopic axis X) from the upper end of the right edge of the cap portion 72 . The 1st axial direction extension part 74, and the 2nd axial direction extension part 76 extended to the right from the lower edge lower end of the cap part 72. The first axial direction extending portion 74 is connected to the left edge of the arm base end portion 64C at the right end.

As shown in FIG. 2(A) , in this embodiment, the displacement portion 66 is axially symmetrical with respect to the expansion-contraction axis X. As shown in FIG.

The balance mechanism 68 is a mechanism for reducing the shear force applied to the piezoelectric element 44 by applying a load that balances the load applied to the piezoelectric element 44, and as shown in FIG. The jib 80 of 66 , the balance hinge 82 combined with the jib 80 and the support part 60 . The dummy arm 80 is located at a position symmetrical to the arm base end portion 64C as viewed from the telescopic axis X, is connected to the right edge of the second axial direction extending portion 76 at the upper left edge, and extends downward. The balance hinge portion 82 extends rightward from the upper right edge of the second support column portion 60C, and is connected to the lower left edge of the dummy arm 80 at the upper edge of the right end.

The displacement portion 66 is connected to the lower left side of the arm base end portion 64C at the right edge of the first axial direction extension portion 74 with respect to the right end (the other end in the axial direction of the telescopic axis X) of the piezoelectric element 44 in the cap portion 72 , respectively. The right edge of the extension portion 74 in the first axial direction is connected to the upper left edge of the dummy arm 80 .

The joint portion of the arm 64 and the displacement portion 66 (more specifically, the joint portion of the arm base end portion 64C and the first axial direction extending portion 74 ) and the dummy arm 80 and the displacement portion 66 (the second axial direction extending portion 76 ) The joint portion is located at a position facing up and down across the telescopic axis X (more specifically, the telescopic axis X is the center).

The vertical width (width in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction) of the balance hinge portion 82 is larger than the vertical width of the first support column portion 60B, the vertical width of the second support column portion 60C, and the width of the arm base 64A. Any of the widths in the left-right direction is small, and can be elastically deformed more easily than any of the first support column portion 60B, the second support column portion 60C, and the arm base portion 64A. In the present embodiment, the vertical width of the balance hinge portion 82 is equal to the vertical width of the amplifier hinge portion 62 . The cross-section of the balance hinge portion 82 and the cross-section of the amplifier hinge portion 62 have the same shape, and their cross-sectional areas are equal to each other. Furthermore, the first axial direction extending portion 74 and the second axial direction extending portion 76 also have substantially the same vertical width as the balance hinge portion 82 and the amplifier hinge portion 62, and are comparable to the first support column portion 60B and the second support column Either of the portion 60C and the arm base portion 64A is easily elastically deformed.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(B) , the base end 82A (left end) of the balance hinge portion 82 is located further to the left than the base end 62A (left end) of the amplifier hinge portion 62 , that is, the fixing of the piezoelectric element 44 on the side of the end (left end) of the support portion 60 .

Next, the operation and effect of the fluid control valve 10 of the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.

When the voltage is not applied to the piezoelectric element 44 , the valve body 46 is in contact with the valve seat 52 , and the lower end of the left port through hole 20L is sealed by the valve body 46 . Thereby, the flow path connecting the supply port P and the output port A is in a closed state.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when a power source is connected to the connector C and a predetermined voltage is applied between the wirings 50 , the piezoelectric element 44 extends in the stacking direction. Thereby, the cap portion 72 is pushed out in the right direction (refer to the black arrow), and the lower end of the arm base portion 64A connected to the cap portion 72 is also pushed out in the right direction. Thereby, the amplifier hinge 62 is elastically deformed, and the arm 64 is displaced in a substantially rotational manner about the point P0 on the amplifier hinge 62 as shown by the white hollow arrow in FIG. 5 . As a result, the valve body 46 moves away from the valve seat 52 to open the lower end of the left port through-hole 20L. Thereby, the flow path which connects the supply port P and the output port A is formed, and it becomes an open state. In this way, the arm 64 at the left end constitutes the valve portion 84 that opens and closes the left port through-hole 20L in response to the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 44 .

At this time, the displacement of the left end of the arm extension 64B, which is the point of action, becomes It is larger than the displacement of the right end of the piezoelectric element 44 . In this way, the plate 48 functions as a mechanical amplifier 54 (displacement amplifying mechanism) that amplifies the displacement amount of the piezoelectric element 44 and outputs the displacement amount of the valve body 46 . By using the mechanical amplifier 54 to amplify the displacement of the piezoelectric element 44 , a sufficient stroke for the valve body 46 to leave the valve seat 52 can be easily ensured. Furthermore, since the amplification rate can be adjusted by adjusting the length in the left-right direction of the arm extension portion 64B, it is easy to secure a stroke for separating the valve body 46 from the valve seat 52 . In addition, since the amount of elongation of the piezoelectric element 44 can be adjusted according to the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 44, thereby adjusting the gap between the valve body 46 and the lower end opening portion of the cylindrical member 22, the supply port P can be adjusted to The flow between output port A (more specifically, the conductance of the flow path connecting supply port P and output port A).

When the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 44 is made zero, the piezoelectric element 44 is shortened to return to its original length, and the lower end of the left port through hole 20L is sealed by the valve body 46 . Thereby, the flow path connecting the supply port P and the output port A will be closed.

When the piezoelectric element 44 is extended by applying a voltage, the arm 64 moves as shown by the white hollow arrow in FIG. 5 . Thereby, a load in a direction different from the telescopic axis X (that is, the left-right direction) is applied to the support portion 60 from the arm 64 . The component of the load in the direction orthogonal to the elongation direction (vertical direction) functions as a shearing force on the piezoelectric element 44 , and thus becomes a factor that reduces the durability of the fluid control valve 10 .

The pair of arms 64 of the displacement portion 66 and the balance hinge portion 82 are coupled to each other at positions facing each other with the telescopic axis X interposed therebetween. Therefore, when a load with an upward component is applied from the arm 64 to the support portion 60 , a load with a downward component opposite to the upward component of the load is applied to the displacement portion 66 through the balance hinge portion 82 . Accordingly, the upward component of the load applied from the arm 64 to the support portion 60 is offset by the downward component of the load applied from the balance hinge portion 82 . That is, the balance hinge portion 82 is configured such that in order to cancel the component in the upward direction (direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis X) of the load applied from the arm 64 to the displacement portion 66, the component in the opposite direction is reversed. The load (that is, the balanced load) is applied to the balance mechanism 68 of the displacement portion 66 . The balance mechanism 68 prevents shearing force in the vertical direction from being applied to the right end of the piezoelectric element 44 through the displacement portion 66 , and the force generated by the piezoelectric element 44 can be effectively utilized.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), in the plate member 48, one arm 64 is provided at a position offset from the telescopic axis X. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the plate member 48 is asymmetrical with respect to the telescopic axis X. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the portion of the plate member 48 surrounded by the one-point chain line shown in FIG. 2 is made symmetrical with respect to the expansion and contraction axis X, when the piezoelectric element 44 is stretched, the plate member 48 will expand and contract relative to the expansion and contraction axis X. The axis X is deformed asymmetrically, and a load is expected to be applied to the right end of the piezoelectric element 44 in a direction orthogonal to the expansion and contraction axis X.

FIG. 6(A) shows that when the portion surrounded by the one-point chain line shown in FIG. 2 is symmetrical with respect to the telescopic axis X, FIG. 6(B) shows that the base end 82A of the balance hinge 82 is larger than the amplifier hinge 62 Simulation of the shape and stress distribution of the plate member 48 when the piezoelectric element 44 is extended when the base end 62A is still positioned on the left side. In FIG. 6(A) , the base end 82A of the balance hinge portion 82 and the base end 62A of the amplifier hinge portion 62 are positioned in the left-right direction, and the right end of the first support column portion 60B and the second support column portion 60C The right end of is located in a relatively aligned position in the left-right direction. In FIGS. 6(A) and (B) , the color becomes darker as the stress increases, and the shape of the plate member 48 before deformation due to the elongation of the piezoelectric element 44 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

Comparing FIGS. 6(A) and (B), it can be seen that the stress distribution of FIG. 6(B) is more symmetrical with respect to the expansion and contraction axis X than the stress distribution of FIG. 6(A). More specifically, if the point at which the stress of the amplifier hinge 62 is the highest and the buckling is strongest (hereinafter, the buckling point) is P1, and the buckling point of the balance hinge 82 is P2, compared to FIG. 6(A) , In FIG. 6(B) , the offset δ of P1 and P2 in the left-right direction is sufficiently small, and it can be understood that P1 and P2 are more symmetrical in terms of the expansion and contraction axis X. As shown in FIG.

In this way, compared with the case where both base ends 82A and 62A are aligned in the left-right direction, by setting the base end 82A of the balance hinge portion 82 to be further to the left than the base end 62A of the amplifier hinge portion 62, the stress distribution can be made relative to the left-right direction. The telescopic axis X is more symmetrical. Accordingly, when the base end 82A of the balance hinge portion 82 is located further to the left than the base end 62A of the amplifier hinge portion 62 compared to the case where both base ends are aligned in the left-right direction, the balance hinge portion 82 can By applying a load to the displacement portion 66 in such a manner as to offset the load applied from the arm 64 in the direction orthogonal to the expansion-contraction axis X, it is possible to prevent the shear force from being applied to the piezoelectric element 44 .

As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 3 , between the outer peripheral surface of the arm base 64A and the wall surface defining the through hole 32 of the bottom wall 30D of the upper recessed portion 30 , a sealing member 70 for sealing the gap is provided. Thereby, a partition wall 94 is formed in the inner chamber 40 of the casing 12, and the partition wall 94 separates the first space 90 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed and the fluid through which the fluid flows through the two port through holes 20L and 20R. (That is, the second space 92 connected to the supply port P and the output port A). By dividing the inner chamber 40 into the first space 90 and the second space 92 by the partition wall 94 , the fluid supplied from the supply port P can be prevented from entering the first space 90 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed. According to this, even when the fluid supplied from the supply port P contains moisture, it is not necessary to separately provide the fluid control valve 10 with a structure for removing water or dehumidification in order to protect the piezoelectric element 44 (refrigerated dryer). or adsorption dryer, etc.). In addition, since the first space 90 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed is separated from the second space 92 through which the fluid flows, the fluid control valve 10 can be installed in the flow path regardless of the type of the fluid.

The partition wall 94 includes a bottom wall 30D having a through hole 32 defining an arm passage 32A through which the arm 64 passes, and a sealing member 70 provided between the arm 64 and a wall surface defining the through hole 32 and elastically deformable. Thereby, the space between the arm 64 and the wall surface defining the arm passage 32A is sealed by the sealing member 70 , and the inner chamber 40 is partitioned into the first space 90 and the second space 92 . In addition, since the sealing member 70 is elastically deformable, the arm 64 can be displaced in a state where the space between the arm 64 and the passage is sealed, and even when the piezoelectric element 44 is stretched and the arm 64 is displaced, the fluid can be kept free of fluids. It flows through the separated state between the first space 90 and the second space 92 . Furthermore, the vibration transmitted to the arm 64 can be damped by the sealing member 70 . Thereby, even if the mechanical amplifier 54 is used under a resonance condition, the vibration of the mechanical amplifier 54 can be attenuated.

In the present embodiment, the sealing member 70 is provided between the arm base portion 64A and the wall surface defining the through hole 32 . By disposing the sealing member 70 at a position close to the fulcrum P0 (see FIG. 5 ) in this way, the displacement of the arm 64 is less likely to be hindered by the sealing member 70 .

The left end of the arm 64 is integrally formed with an elastic valve body 46 . Therefore, when the left port through-hole 20L is closed by the valve body 46, the shape of the valve body 46 is elastically deformed according to the valve seat 52, so that the opening can be more reliably closed.

Since the first space 90 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed is separated from the second space 92 through which the fluid flows, sealing is not required even when the connector hole 42 is provided to allow the first space 90 to communicate with the outside. The connector hole 42, so the assembly of the connector C becomes easy. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to use a connector having a larger sealing structure than a connector not having a sealing structure to seal the connector hole 42, the size of the fluid control valve 10 can be reduced.

<<Second Embodiment>> The fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the shape of the housing 12 . The other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the descriptions of the other structures are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the casing 12 of the fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment. The upper member 16 and the cover member 18 constituting the lower rear half thereof are constituted. Since the structure of the upper member 16 of the casing of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the case body 14 includes a body left upper portion 126 constituting the upper left portion thereof, and a body main portion 128 extending downward and rightward from the body left upper portion 126 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the upper left part 126 of the main body has a front wall 126A and a rear wall 126B that are paired in the front and rear, a left wall 126C connecting the left edges of the front wall 126A and the rear wall 126B, respectively, and the front wall 126A. The lower wall 126D of the lower edge of the wall 126B and the left wall 126C is in the shape of a rectangular box opened upward and rightward. On the left upper part 126 of the main body, a groove 127 which is recessed downward and is defined by the front wall 126A, the rear wall 126B, the left wall 126C and the lower wall 126D is formed. The groove portion 127 extends rightward from the left portion of the upper left portion 126 of the main body, and reaches the right edge of the upper left portion 126 of the main body.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the upper member 16 is fastened to the upper surface of the case body 14 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The arm passage 130 delimited by the upper member 16 , the left wall 126C, the front wall 126A, the rear wall 126B and the lower wall 126D is formed by the upper member 16 being fastened to the upper surface of the housing body 14 . The upper member 16 is provided with two through-holes 20L and 20R for ports penetrating up and down in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The arm passage 130 extends left and right in the upper part of the housing 12, and is connected to the two port through-holes 20L and 20R, respectively.

In the upper left part 126 of the main body, similarly to the first embodiment, a housing recess 34 recessed forward is formed. The accommodating concave portion 34 is formed on the right side and the lower side of the left upper portion 126 of the main body, and is formed in an inverse L-shape when viewed from the rear. Similar to the first embodiment, the left upper part 126 of the main body is provided with a groove 36 recessed forward, and the connector C is coupled to the housing body 14 while being accommodated in the groove 127 .

The cover member 18 has a shape corresponding to the body main portion 128 . Like the first embodiment, the cover member 18 is provided with a notch portion 38 which is shorted upward at a position corresponding to the groove portion 36 . When the cover member 18 is fastened to the main body portion 128, the accommodating recess 34 is closed from the rear.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the arm extension portion 64B is arranged so as to pass through the inside of the arm passage 130 extending left and right from the upper portion of the casing 12 . A sealing member 170 that fills the gap therebetween is provided between the wall surface defining the upper and lower or front and rear boundaries of the arm passage 130 and the arm extending portion 64B. The sealing member 170 is formed of elastically deformable resin as in the first embodiment.

The sealing member 170 and the lower wall 126D constitute the partition wall 194 extending in an inverse L-shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. The partition wall 194 divides the inner chamber 40 of the casing 12 into a first space 190 including the piezoelectric element 44, including the through holes 20L and 20R for connecting to the two ports (that is, connecting to the supply The arm passage 130 of the port P and the output port A) is a second space 192 for fluid circulation.

Next, the effect of the fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment will be described. In the fluid control valve 110, similarly to the first embodiment, since the first space 190 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed and the second space 192 through which the fluid flows are partitioned, the flow of the fluid into the piezoelectric element 44 in which the piezoelectric element 44 is installed can be prevented. invasion of space. Furthermore, since the space between the arm 64 and the arm passage 130 is sealed (closed) by the elastically deformable sealing member 170 , the arm 64 can be displaced while the inner chamber 40 is divided into the first space 190 and the second space 192 .

Furthermore, the vibration generated in the arm 64 can be damped by the sealing member 170 . In the fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment, since the sealing member 170 that is easily swung by the extension of the piezoelectric element 44 is provided between the arm extending portion 64B and the wall surface that defines the arm passage 130, it is possible to more effectively suppress the Vibration generated by the arm 64 .

<<Third Embodiment>> The fluid control valve 210 of the third embodiment differs only in the shape of the plate 248, and since the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, descriptions other than the shape of the plate 248 are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11(A) , the plate member 248 of the third embodiment is different from the plate member 248 of the first embodiment in at least the following points: the base end 82A (left end) of the balance hinge 82 The position and the base end 62A (left end) of the amplifier hinge portion 62 are aligned (aligned) in the left-right direction, and the right end of the first support column portion 60B and the right end of the second support column portion 60C are aligned in the left-right direction. s position. Furthermore, in the plate member 248 of the third embodiment, the right edge 64R of the arm 64 (more specifically, the arm base portion 64A and the arm base end portion 64C) is positioned to the right of the pseudo arm 80 as compared with the plate member 248 of the first embodiment. The right side of the edge 80R is different. That is, the right end of the second axial direction extending portion 76 and the right end of the balance hinge portion 82 are located further to the left than in the first embodiment, and the left-right length of the balance hinge portion 82 is shorter than that of the first embodiment. Thereby, the displacement part 66 becomes vertically asymmetrical with respect to the expansion-contraction axis X.

Next, the effect of the fluid control valve 210 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(A) and 11(B). In FIG. 11(B) , like FIG. 6(A) , a simulation of the stress distribution of the plate member 248 when the piezoelectric element 44 is stretched is shown. However, in FIG. 6(A) , the right edge 64R of the arm 64 is set to be aligned with the right edge 80R of the pseudo arm 80 in the left-right direction.

Comparing FIGS. 6(A) and 11(B), it can be seen that the offset δ in the left-right direction between the buckling point P1 of the amplifier hinge portion 62 and the buckling point P2 of the balance hinge portion 82 is larger in FIG. 11(B) than in FIG. 6(B). A) is small, and the stress distribution of FIG. 11(B) is symmetrical with respect to the expansion-contraction axis X compared to the stress distribution of FIG. 6(A).

That is, by configuring the right edge 64R of the arm 64 to be located further to the right than the right edge 80R of the arm 80 , the stress distribution can be made more symmetrical with respect to the telescopic axis X than when the two edges are aligned in the left-right direction. According to this, when the right edge 64R of the arm 64 is positioned to the right of the right edge 80R of the dummy arm 80 , the balance hinge portion can pass through the balance hinge portion compared to the case where the right edge 64R of the arm 64 and the right edge of the dummy arm 80 are aligned in the left-right direction. 82. By applying a load to the displacement portion 66 so as to more offset the load applied from the arm 64 in the direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis X, it is possible to prevent the shear force from being applied to the piezoelectric element 44.

If the opening and closing speed of the fluid control valve 210 is increased, a problem may arise in the load applied to the balance mechanism 68 from the arm extension portion 64B. In the present embodiment, the right edge 80R of the dummy arm 80 is shorter than the right edge 64R of the arm 64, and the left-right length of the balance hinge portion 82 is shorter than that of the fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment. Therefore, in the fluid control valve 210 of the present embodiment, the rigidity of the balance hinge portion 82 is higher than that of the fluid control valve 110 of the second embodiment, and the fluid control valve 210 of the present embodiment requires high-speed opening and closing operations. Especially effective.

<<The fourth embodiment>> The fluid control valve 310 of the fourth embodiment differs only in the shape of the plate 348, and since the other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, descriptions other than the shape of the plate 348 are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the plate member 348 of the fourth embodiment is different from the plate member 348 of the first embodiment in at least the following points: the position of the base end 82A (left end) of the balance hinge portion 82 and the amplifier The position of the base end 62A (left end) of the hinge portion 62 , the right end of the first support column portion 60B and the right end of the second support column portion 60C are aligned (aligned) in the left-right direction.

Furthermore, the plate member 348 of the fourth embodiment is different from the plate member 348 of the first embodiment in that the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge portion 82 is different.

More specifically, the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge portion 82 is different in one part from the other part. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , the right half of the balance hinge portion 82 is provided with a thickness portion 82B formed by fusion bonding of a metal plate member. Thereby, the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge portion 82 is different from the other portions in the thickness portion 82B, and is formed to be larger than the other portions.

Next, the effect of the fluid control valve 310 of the fourth embodiment will be described. By making the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge 82 larger in the right half, it can be predicted that the buckling point P2 of the balance hinge 82 will move to the left. Thereby, the offset δ in the left-right direction between the buckling point P1 of the amplifier hinge portion 62 and the buckling point P2 of the balance hinge portion 82 can be reduced, and the stress distribution inside the plate member 348 can be made vertically symmetrical with respect to the telescopic axis X. As a result, the displacement portion 66 can be loaded with a load applied from the arm 64 in a direction orthogonal to the telescopic axis X through the balance hinge portion 82 , thereby preventing the shear force from being applied to the piezoelectric element 44 . .

In this way, by configuring the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge 82 to be different in one part from other parts, the distribution of the cross-sectional area of the balance hinge 82 can be adjusted, and the application of shear force to the piezoelectric element 44 can be prevented.

<<Fifth Embodiment>> As shown in FIG. 13 , the fluid control valve 410 of the fifth embodiment is provided with a ring member 423 on the lower edge of the cylindrical member 22 at the point where the valve body 46 of the arm extending portion 64B is not provided compared to the first embodiment. The points are different. Since other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, descriptions thereof are omitted.

The ring member 423 is an annular member extending along the lower edge of the cylindrical member 22, and is formed of an elastic body, which is an elastically deformable resin. The ring member 423 is arranged so as to cover the lower edge of the cylindrical member 22 from below, and is fixed to the cylindrical member 22 .

The cylindrical member 22 is coupled to the casing body 14 in a state of being sandwiched by the first upper member 16U and the second upper member 16D. At this time, the ring member 423 is arranged along the lower edge of the cylindrical member 22 to define the lower edge of the left port through-hole 20L, and is further directed downward (inner chamber 40 side) than the lower edge of the upper member 16 . The protruding state is fixed to the case body 14 . Thereby, the upper surface of the left end of the arm extension part 64B functions as the valve body 46 , and the arm extension part 64B constitutes the valve part 84 . In addition, the valve seat 52 is constituted by an elastic ring member 423 .

Next, the effect of the fluid control valve 410 having such a configuration will be described. The valve seat 52 is constituted by an elastic ring member 423 . Thereby, when the upper surface of the arm extension portion 64B abuts against the valve seat 52, the valve seat 52 is elastically deformed in accordance with the upper surface of the arm extension portion 64B. Thereby, the valve body 46 can more reliably close the opening part of the port through-hole 20L on the left side.

As mentioned above, although the present invention has been described with respect to its suitable embodiments, as long as those skilled in the art can easily understand, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and can be used without departing from the present invention. Appropriate changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

In the above-described first to third embodiments and the fifth embodiment, the plate member 48 (displacement amplifying mechanism) is formed of one sheet of metal plate, but is not limited to this aspect. For example, the plate member 48 may be constituted by combining a plurality of members. However, by forming the plate member 48 from a single sheet of metal plate, since screwing, welding, fusion bonding, etc. are not required, the manufacturing steps of the fluid control valves 10, 110, 210, 410 are simplified, and the number of manufacturing requirements can be reduced. cost.

In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is described as applying the present invention to a fluid control valve having two ports and opening and closing one port to open and close one flow path, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect. The present invention can also be applied to a fluid control valve (for example, a three-way valve) that opens and closes three or more ports.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the valve seat 52 of the elastic body is constituted by the ring member 423 being provided on the cylindrical member 22, but it is not limited to this aspect. Any form may be used as long as the valve seat 52 of the elastic body is provided. For example, the cylindrical member 22 may be formed of an elastic body.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the balance mechanism 68 is constituted by the balance hinge portion 82, it is not limited to this aspect. For example, the balance mechanism 68 may be of any form as long as it is a mechanism that applies a balanced load in order to correct the load applied to the displacement portion 66 in the expansion-contraction direction. For example, the balance mechanism 68 may also include a leaf spring connecting the second support column portion 60C and the displacement portion 66 . In addition, in the first embodiment, the plate member 48 may be configured such that the base end 82A of the balance hinge portion 82 and the base end 62A of the amplifier hinge portion 62 are arranged to be aligned in the left-right direction, and are linked by a one-point chain shown in FIG. 2 . The part enclosed by the line is symmetrical.

In the above-described embodiments, the first embodiment and the third embodiment respectively show examples in which the shape is changed so that the positions of the inflection points P1 and P2 based on the stress distribution obtained by the simulation are aligned in the left-right direction . As can be understood from the comparison of FIG. 6(A), FIG. 6(B) and FIG. 11 , by adjusting the parameters for setting the shape of the plate, the left and right directions of the two buckling points P1 and P2 can be adjusted. As the offset δ becomes smaller, the positions of the inflection points P1 and P2 become more symmetrical with respect to the expansion and contraction axis X, and the positions of the inflection points P1 and P2 can be made substantially symmetrical with respect to the expansion and contraction axis X.

In addition, in a fluid control valve having at least two openings serving as fluid inlets and outlets and an inner chamber 40 leading to the two openings, and driven by the piezoelectric element 44 housed in the inner chamber 40, when the liquid is pressurized When intrusion of the electrical element 44 is a problem, the partition wall 94 is provided, and the partition wall 94 divides the inner chamber 40 into a first space 90 for accommodating the piezoelectric element 44 and a second space including a passage for connecting the ports. 92 is sufficient, and other configurations are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects. For example, the structure of the plate member of the fluid control valve is not limited to the above, and the fluid control valve may be a so-called single-arm electrical fluid control valve that does not have the balance mechanism 68, or may be an electrical fluid control valve having a plurality of arms Control valve.

In the above-described embodiment, although the support portion 60 is provided separately from the housing 12, it is not limited to this aspect. The support portion 60 may also be integrated with the casing 12 , or may be a part of the casing 12 .

In addition, not all of the constituent elements shown in the above-described embodiments are necessarily required, and they can be selected as appropriate as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

10, 110, 210, 310, 410: Fluid Control Valves 12: Shell 14: Shell body 16: Upper member 16U: 1st upper member 16D: Second upper member 18: Cover member 20L, 20R: Through hole for port 22: Cylinder member 22A: Inner hole 24LU, 24RU, 24LD, 24RD: Through hole 26: The upper part of the body 28: The lower part of the body 30: Upper recess 30D: Bottom wall 32: Through hole 32A: Arm access 34: accommodating recess 36: Groove 38: Notch 40: Inner Room 42: Connector hole 44: Piezoelectric elements 44A: Piezoelectric 46: valve body 48: Plates 50: Wiring 52: valve seat 54: Mechanical Amplifier 60: Support part 60A: Support base 60B: 1st support column 60C: Second support column 62: Amplifier Hinges 62A: Base end 64: Arm 64A: Arm base 64B: Arm Extension 64C: Arm base end 64R: Right edge 66: Displacement part 68: Balance Mechanism 70: Sealing member 72: Hat 74: Extension in the first axis direction 76: 2nd axis direction extension 80: jib 80R: Right edge 82: Balance hinge 82A: Base end 82B: Thickness part 84: valve 90: 1st space 92: 2nd space 94: Dividing Wall 126: The upper left part of the body 126A: Front Wall 126B: Rear Wall 126C: Left Wall 126D: Lower Wall 127: Groove 128: Main body of the body 130: Arm Access 170: Sealing member 190: Space 1 192: 2nd space 194: Divider 248: Plate 348: Plate 423: Ring Member A: output port, opening C: Connector II-II, III-III, VIII-VIII, IX-IX: line P: supply port, opening P0: fulcrum P1,P2: buckling point X: Telescopic shaft delta: offset

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fluid control valve according to the first embodiment. 2(A) is a II-II sectional view of FIG. 1 , and (B) is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1 . Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the fluid control valve of the first embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control valve when the piezoelectric element is extended. 6 shows (A) a case where the base end of the balance hinge and the base end of the amplifier hinge are aligned in the left-right direction, and (B) when the base end of the balance hinge is located on the left side of the base end of the amplifier hinge, A graph showing the stress distribution inside the plate when the piezoelectric element is stretched. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fluid control valve according to a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 . FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 7 . Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the fluid control valve of the second embodiment. 11 is a diagram showing (A) the shape of the plate member of the fluid control valve of the third embodiment, and (B) the stress distribution inside the plate member when the piezoelectric element is stretched. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the shape of the plate member of the fluid control valve of the fourth embodiment. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a fluid control valve according to a fifth embodiment.

10: Fluid Control Valve

12: Shell

14: Shell body

16: Upper member

16U: 1st upper member

16D: Second upper member

20L, 20R: Through hole for port

22: Cylinder member

22A: Inner hole

24LU, 24RU, 24LD, 24RD: Through hole

26: The upper part of the body

28: The lower part of the body

30: Upper recess

30D: Bottom wall

32: Through hole

32A: Arm access

34: accommodating recess

36: Groove

40: Inner Room

42: Connector hole

44: Piezoelectric elements

44A: Piezoelectric

46: valve body

48: Plates

50: Wiring

52: valve seat

54: Mechanical Amplifier

60: Support part

60A: Support base

60B: 1st support column

60C: Second support column

62: Amplifier Hinges

62A: Base end

64: Arm

64A: Arm base

64B: Arm Extension

64C: Arm base end

66: Displacement part

68: Balance Mechanism

70: Sealing member

72: Hat

74: Extension in the first axis direction

76: 2nd axis direction extension

80: jib

82: Balance hinge

82A: Base end

84: valve

90: 1st space

92: 2nd space

94: Dividing Wall

A: Output port, opening

C: Connector

P: Supply port, opening

X: Telescopic shaft

Claims (13)

A fluid control valve having: a casing, comprising an inner chamber and at least two openings connected to the inner chamber and serving as inlets and outlets for fluids; a piezoelectric element that can be extended and retracted along a predetermined retractable axis; and a mechanical amplifier that amplifies the displacement of the piezoelectric element to displace a valve portion that opens and closes at least one of the openings, The aforementioned mechanical amplifier includes: a support part, disposed on the casing and connected to one end of the telescopic shaft in the axial direction of the piezoelectric element; a displacement part coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element in the axial direction; an arm connected to the displacement part at one end, connected to the support part at the middle part through a deformable amplifier hinge part, and opening and closing at least one of the openings at the other end; and The balance mechanism applies a load opposite to a load applied to the displacement portion in a direction orthogonal to the expansion-contraction axis due to the expansion of the piezoelectric element. The fluid control valve of claim 1, wherein the balance mechanism comprises a dummy arm coupled to the displacement portion, and a deformable balance hinge portion coupled to the dummy arm and the support portion, The joint portion of the arm and the displacement portion and the joint portion of the dummy arm and the displacement portion are opposed to each other across the telescopic shaft. The fluid control valve according to claim 2, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion that extend in the direction of the telescopic shaft and are arranged at positions opposite to the piezoelectric element, The amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, The balance hinge part has a cross section of the same shape as the amplifier hinge part and extends from the second support part along the telescopic shaft, The displacement portion has a cap portion coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element, a first axial direction extending portion extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, and extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft extending and connected to the second axial direction extending portion of the dummy arm, The displacement portion is axially symmetrical with respect to the telescopic shaft, In the axial direction, the base end of the balance hinge portion is located on the one end side of the piezoelectric element rather than the base end of the amplifier hinge portion. The fluid control valve according to claim 2, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion that extend in the direction of the telescopic shaft and are arranged at positions opposite to the piezoelectric element, The amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, The balance hinge part has a cross section of the same shape as the amplifier hinge part and extends from the second support part along the telescopic shaft, The displacement portion includes a cap portion coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element, a first axial direction extending portion extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, and extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft extends and is connected to the second axial direction extension of the jib, In the axial direction, the base end of the balance hinge is located at a position aligned with the base end of the amplifier hinge, The side edge of the arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element is located more on the other end side of the piezoelectric element than the side edge of the pseudo arm located on the other end side of the piezoelectric element. The fluid control valve according to claim 2, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion that extend in the direction of the telescopic shaft and are arranged at positions opposite to the piezoelectric element, The amplifier hinge portion extends from the first support portion along the telescopic shaft, The balance hinge portion extends from the second support portion along the telescopic shaft, The displacement portion includes a cap portion coupled to the other end of the piezoelectric element, a first axial direction extending portion extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft and connected to the arm, and extending from the cap portion along the telescopic shaft extends and is connected to the second axial direction extension of the jib, The displacement portion is axially symmetrical with respect to the telescopic shaft, In the axial direction, the base end of the balance hinge is located at a position aligned with the base end of the amplifier hinge, The cross-sectional area of the aforementioned balance hinge is different in one part from the other part. The fluid control valve according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the buckling point of the balance hinge portion and the buckling point of the amplifier hinge portion are axisymmetric around the telescopic axis. The fluid control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a partition wall is provided in the housing, and the partition wall divides the inner chamber into a first space for accommodating the piezoelectric element, and includes a first space that communicates with the piezoelectric element. The second space of the passage of the two aforementioned openings. The fluid control valve of claim 7, wherein the partition wall comprises: a wall body defining at least a part of an arm passage through which the arm passes; and a sealing member provided between the arm and the wall surface defining the passage, and elastically deformable. The fluid control valve of claim 8, wherein the wall body has a through hole defining the arm passage, The said sealing member is provided between the wall surface which defines the said through-hole, and the said arm. The fluid control valve of claim 8, wherein said wall defines said arm passage in cooperation with a wall that defines said inner chamber, The sealing member is provided between the wall body, the wall surface defining the inner chamber, and the arm. The fluid control valve according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the first space communicates with the outside of the housing through a connector hole, A connector for supplying a voltage to the piezoelectric element is provided at a position aligned with the connector hole. The fluid control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein an elastic body is integrally formed at the other end of the arm. The fluid control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a valve seat formed of an elastic body is provided in the opening opened and closed by the arm.

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