US20100051846A1 - Shaft sealing device and valve structure using the same - Google Patents

Shaft sealing device and valve structure using the same Download PDF

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Publication number
US20100051846A1
US20100051846A1 US12/451,299 US45129908A US2010051846A1 US 20100051846 A1 US20100051846 A1 US 20100051846A1 US 45129908 A US45129908 A US 45129908A US 2010051846 A1 US2010051846 A1 US 2010051846A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
shaft sealing
sealing body
shaft
macromolecular material
electro stimuli
Prior art date
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Abandoned
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US12/451,299
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English (en)
Inventor
Kazuhiro Aoki
Tomoya Yamasaki
Chikashi Gomi
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Kitz Corp
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Individual
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Assigned to KITZ CORPORATION reassignment KITZ CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: AOKI, KAZUHIRO, GOMI, CHIKASHI, YAMASAKI, TOMOYA
Publication of US20100051846A1 publication Critical patent/US20100051846A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
    • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F15B21/00—Common features of fluid actuator systems; Fluid-pressure actuator systems or details thereof, not covered by any other group of this subclass
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/02—Sealings between relatively-stationary surfaces
    • F16J15/06—Sealings between relatively-stationary surfaces with solid packing compressed between sealing surfaces
    • F16J15/10—Sealings between relatively-stationary surfaces with solid packing compressed between sealing surfaces with non-metallic packing
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/02—Sealings between relatively-stationary surfaces
    • F16J15/06—Sealings between relatively-stationary surfaces with solid packing compressed between sealing surfaces
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
    • F16J15/164—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces the sealing action depending on movements; pressure difference, temperature or presence of leaking fluid
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
    • F16J15/32—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings
    • F16J15/3204—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings with at least one lip
    • F16J15/3208—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings with at least one lip provided with tension elements, e.g. elastic rings
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/16—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces
    • F16J15/32—Sealings between relatively-moving surfaces with elastic sealings, e.g. O-rings
    • F16J15/3296—Arrangements for monitoring the condition or operation of elastic sealings; Arrangements for control of elastic sealings, e.g. of their geometry or stiffness
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16J—PISTONS; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
    • F16J15/00—Sealings
    • F16J15/56—Other sealings for reciprocating rods
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
    • F16K31/02—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
    • F16K31/02—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic
    • F16K31/025—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic actuated by thermo-electric means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
    • F16K7/00—Diaphragm valves or cut-off apparatus, e.g. with a member deformed, but not moved bodily, to close the passage ; Pinch valves
    • F16K7/02—Diaphragm valves or cut-off apparatus, e.g. with a member deformed, but not moved bodily, to close the passage ; Pinch valves with tubular diaphragm
    • F16K7/04—Diaphragm valves or cut-off apparatus, e.g. with a member deformed, but not moved bodily, to close the passage ; Pinch valves with tubular diaphragm constrictable by external radial force
    • F16K7/045—Diaphragm valves or cut-off apparatus, e.g. with a member deformed, but not moved bodily, to close the passage ; Pinch valves with tubular diaphragm constrictable by external radial force by electric or magnetic means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02N—ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H02N2/00—Electric machines in general using piezoelectric effect, electrostriction or magnetostriction
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D7/00—Control of flow
    • G05D7/06—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D7/0617—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials
    • G05D7/0629—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials characterised by the type of regulator means
    • G05D7/0635—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials characterised by the type of regulator means by action on throttling means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D7/00—Control of flow
    • G05D7/06—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D7/0617—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials
    • G05D7/0629—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials characterised by the type of regulator means
    • G05D7/0635—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials characterised by the type of regulator means by action on throttling means
    • G05D7/0641—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means specially adapted for fluid materials characterised by the type of regulator means by action on throttling means using a plurality of throttling means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N30/00—Piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices
    • H10N30/80—Constructional details
    • H10N30/85—Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials
    • H10N30/857—Macromolecular compositions
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/206—Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system]
    • Y10T137/218—Means to regulate or vary operation of device
    • Y10T137/2202—By movable element
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/206—Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system]
    • Y10T137/218—Means to regulate or vary operation of device
    • Y10T137/2202—By movable element
    • Y10T137/2213—Electrically-actuated element [e.g., electro-mechanical transducer]
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/8593—Systems
    • Y10T137/87169—Supply and exhaust
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/8593—Systems
    • Y10T137/87169—Supply and exhaust
    • Y10T137/87217—Motor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a shaft sealing device for shaft-sealing a fluid using a sealing member and, particularly, to a shaft sealing device using an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material and to a valve structure using the same.
  • a shaft sealing device using a sealing member is utilized.
  • the shaft sealing device is intended to seal the flow of the fluid via the sealing member.
  • an annular O-ring or packing substantially circular in cross section for example, is used in order to seal a wide variety of fluids including air, water, oil and gas.
  • the sealing member is required to have high sealing performance because the principal function thereof is to seal the fluids.
  • the sealing member is axially attached to a groove of a substantially rectangular shape in cross section formed within the same plane in the radial direction of a shaft or hole of one of members in the shaft sealing device and, when attaining a seal by pressure of contact with the other of the members in the shaft sealing device, is compressed by the shape of the groove. It is therefore required to have a compression allowance.
  • the O-ring for example, is compressed via the compression allowance to produce a repulsion force and, by the repulsion force, fulfills contact surface pressure sealability to attain a shaft seal.
  • the O-ring is generally made from one of various kinds of synthetic rubber materials.
  • the material In order to fulfill an appropriate compression stress within a range in which extraordinary deformation is not induced, the material is required to have a prescribed low compression set and further satisfy characteristics including antiweatherability, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance, oil resistance and chemical resistance.
  • an ordinary shaft sealing device aims first at enhancing a sealing function with a sealing member, such as an O-ring. Generally, therefore, a sealing region of the sealing member or fluid is determined at a prescribed location.
  • An apparatus having such a sealing device embedded therein has a complicated internal structure.
  • the moving mechanism includes a screw feed mechanism, a piston-cylinder mechanism and a rotating mechanism, for example.
  • some power means such as human power, electricity, air, hydraulic pressure, spring, etc.
  • Patent Document 1 a valve using a so-called artificial muscle and having no complicated power means is disclosed (refer to Patent Document 1, for example).
  • This valve uses an artificial muscle as a valving element and deforms the valving element per se to enable opening and closing a flow path.
  • the valve disclosed in the Document uses as the valving element the artificial muscle formed of an electrostrictive elastic polymer film and deforms the valving element through a voltage ON-OFF operation to bring the valving element into contact with and separation from a valve seat, thereby opening and closing the flow path.
  • the artificial muscle in this valve is called an EPAM (Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle) comprising a thin rubber-like macromolecular film (elastomer) and elastic electrodes sandwiching the film, in which voltage is applied between the electrodes to elongate the macromolecular film in a plane direction (to diameter-enlarge it in a circumferential direction).
  • EPAM Electroactive Polymer Artificial Muscle
  • Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent No. 3,501,216
  • the shaft sealing device is provided with a moving mechanism or power means in order to switch the sealing region to the unsealing region has entailed a problem that the device becomes complicated in structure and large in entire size. For this reason, the device has possibly been increased in weight and manufacturing cost.
  • the contact and sliding motion has possibly caused the parts constituting the moving mechanism and the sliding members to abrade away.
  • a seal material is moved in a state of contact with and pressure application to a counterpart sealing member within the sealing region, abrasion accompanying the sliding motion has been induced.
  • the shaft sealing device since a noise is possibly generated due to the contact or sliding motion of the seal material, sealing member or moving mechanism or since a new task of using a lubricant in order to prevent this noise or abrasion is possibly necessitated, the shaft sealing device has entailed a problem that the reliability thereof at the time of sealing is lowered or that the durability life thereof is considerably shortened.
  • the shaft sealing device is configured so as to fulfill high sealing performance through the securement of precision in plane coarseness of the sealing member in the sealing region, through the attainment of sealing the fluid by the pressure of contact of the seal material with the counterpart member induced in consequence of compressing the compression allowance and through the increase in pressure of contact (self-sealing function) due to the compression of the compression allowance in addition to the deformation of the seal material accompanying the compression, thereby fulfilling contact surface pressure higher than the fluid pressure, it has generally been known that even in the case of the shaft sealing device, it is difficult to completely prevent fluid leakage because a phenomenon of entraining the fluid accompanying the movement of the sealing portion occurs.
  • Patent Document 1 uses the EPAM as the valving element to eliminate any complicated power mechanism, since the valving element per se constitutes the EPAM and since the fluid pressure is received on the pressure-receiving area of the entire EPAM at the time of fluid sealing, the EPAM is required to have both large compression strength and large sealing power. In addition, since it is necessary to provide a separate sealing mechanism in a main body and prepare a valve seat portion for seating, the application of the EPAM to the valving element per se is irrationalistic because the strength resistance and stress characteristics accompanying deformation the EPAM has are not utilized as-is.
  • Patent Document 1 neither has any idea or suggestion in respect of the point of the present inventors' observation that an EPAM is applied to a shaft sealing structure per se nor has any idea or suggestion with respect to the fact that an increase and decrease in shaft sealing power is subtly adjusted with high precision by the function of the EPAM to utilize a fluid leakage phenomenon including minute leakage.
  • the present inventors have reached the development of the present invention as a consequence of keen studies made in view of the conventional state of affairs described above.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a shaft sealing device with a simple internal structure that switches a sealing state and an unsealing state of a fluid, with high sealing performance maintained, because of no abrasion accompanying the movement of a sealing material or a sealing member, thereby enabling feeding a fluid at a predetermined flow rate, and adjusts the expanding rate of the sealing material with the quantity of an external electric signal and accordingly adjusts the contact face pressure to enable controlling the amount of leakage of the fluid highly precisely, so that it can be used for all applications, and to provide a valve structure using the shaft sealing device.
  • the invention of claim 1 relates to a shaft sealing device comprising a device body, a shaft sealing portion disposed in the device body, a shaft sealing body formed of a macromolecular material and made expansible or contractible, or deformable, through external electro stimuli applied to the shaft sealing body and flow passages disposed in the shaft sealing portion for feeding a fluid leaked due to expansion or contraction, or deformation, of the shaft sealing body.
  • the invention of claim 2 relates to the above shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body is formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material that is subjected to enlarged deformation in a direction orthogonal to a voltage application direction when having been charged with external electro stimuli, thereby heightening shaft sealing power whereas the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is returned to an original position while being subjected to contracted deformation in the direction orthogonal to the voltage application direction when having been discharged, thereby inducing an appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power, or that is returned to the original position while being subjected to the enlarged deformation in the direction orthogonal to the voltage application direction when having been discharged, thereby heightening the shaft sealing power whereas the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is lowered in shaft sealing power while being subjected to contracted deformation in the direction orthogonal to the voltage application direction when having been charged with the external electro stimuli, thereby inducing the appropriate leakage phenomenon.
  • the invention of claim 3 relates to the first mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body is formed of an electroconductive macromolecular material that is returned to original position while being expanded when application of external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening shaft sealing power, whereas the electroconductive macromolecular material is lowered in shaft sealing power while being shrunk when the external electro stimuli have been applied, or that is heightened in shaft sealing power while being expanded when the external electro stimuli have been applied, whereas the electroconductive macromolecular material is returned to the original position while being shrunk when the application of the external electro stimuli have been stopped, thereby inducing an appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power.
  • the invention of claim 4 relates to the first mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body is formed of an ionically conductive macromolecular material that is returned to an original position while being deformed when application of external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening shaft sealing power, whereas the ionically conductive macromolecular material is deformed when the external electro stimuli have been applied, thereby inducing an appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power, or that is heightened in shaft sealing power while being deformed when the external electro stimuli have been applied, whereas the ionically conductive macromolecular material is returned to the original position while being deformed when the application of the external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby inducing the appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power.
  • the invention of claim 5 relates to the first mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body is formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material that is returned to an original position while being deformed when application of external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening shaft sealing power, whereas the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material has deformed a section thereof other than a section thereof to which the external electro stimuli have been applied, thereby inducing an appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power.
  • the invention of claim 6 relates to the first mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body is formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material that deforms, when external electro stimuli have been applied, a section thereof other than a section thereof to which the external electro stimuli have been applied, thereby heightening shaft sealing power, whereas the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is returned to an original position while being deformed when application of the external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby inducing an appropriate leakage phenomenon due to a decrease in shaft sealing power.
  • the invention of claim 7 relates to any one of the first to fourth mentioned shaft sealing devices, further comprising a holder capable of retaining the shaft sealing body on a retaining surface thereof from upper and lower directions and electrodes which are provided on the retaining surface of the holder and which are electrically connected to an exterior of the device body.
  • the invention of claim 8 relates to any one of the first, fifth and sixth mentioned shaft sealing devices, wherein the shaft sealing body is provided with electrodes which are connected to an exterior of the device body in a state clamping part of upper and lower surfaces of the shaft sealing body.
  • the invention of claim 9 relates to any one of the first to sixth mentioned shaft sealing devices, wherein the shaft sealing body comprises at least two shaft sealing bodies disposed in the device body and the flow passages comprise at least three leaked-fluid flow passages disposed in the device body, and further comprising a holder capable of retaining the shaft sealing bodies, respectively, on a retaining surface thereof from upper and lower directions and electrodes which are provided on the retaining surface of the holder and which are electrically connected to an exterior of the device body, wherein application and stop of application of external electro stimuli to the shaft sealing bodies from the electrodes makes the shaft sealing bodies expansible or contractible, or deformable, to make the flow passages switchable.
  • the invention of claim 10 relates to any one of the second to ninth mentioned shaft sealing devices, wherein the leakage phenomenon includes a minute leakage phenomenon.
  • the invention of claim 11 relates to a shaft sealing device comprising a device body, a holder, and an annular shaft sealing body which is inserted into the device body via the holder, which has a base fixed to the holder or device body and a distal free end serving as a shaft sealing portion and which allows the shaft sealing portion to expand or contract in a substantially perfectly circular shape when external electro stimuli have been applied thereto, thereby obtaining a shaft sealed state or a fluid leaking state.
  • the invention of claim 12 relates to the above shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body comprises a plate-like annular base material which is formed of a macromolecular material made expansible or contractible, or deformable, through external electro stimuli applied to the shaft sealing body and which has front and back surfaces provided respectively with electrodes.
  • the invention of claim 13 relates to the eleventh mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the shaft sealing body comprises a hollow cylinder which is formed of a macromolecular material made expansible or contractible, or deformable, through external electro stimuli applied to the shaft sealing body and which has inner and outer circumferential surfaces provided integrally with electrodes, respectively.
  • the invention of claim 14 relates to a valve structure using any one of the eleventh to thirteenth mentioned shaft sealing device, wherein the device body is formed with plural flow passages communicating with an exterior of the device body, and the shaft sealing portion that is the free end of the shaft sealing body is disposed between adjacent flow passages so as to be brought to a shaft sealed state or a fluid leaking state, thereby making the flow passages switchable.
  • the invention of claim 15 relates to the above valve structure, wherein the shaft sealing body has a base near a substantially central part thereof and opposite free ends serving as shaft sealing portions that permit contact with or separation from at least two inner cylindrical annular portions, thereby making the flow passages switchable.
  • the invention of claim 16 relates to the fourteenth mentioned valve structure, wherein the shaft sealing body comprises at least two shaft bodies which are disposed in the device body and each of which has a free end serving as a shaft sealing portion brought to a shaft sealed state or a fluid leaking state.
  • a shaft sealing device with a simple internal structure that switches a sealing state and an unsealing state of a fluid, with high sealing performance maintained, because of no abrasion accompanying the movement of a shaft sealing body, thereby enabling feeding a fluid at a predetermined flow rate, and adjusts the amount of expansion or contraction, or the amount of deformation, of the shaft sealing body with the quantity of an external electric signal and accordingly adjusts the contact face pressure to enable controlling the amount of leakage of the fluid highly precisely, so that it can be used for all applications.
  • the shaft sealing body can be deformed in the absence of a moving mechanism to enable preventing the inside of the shaft sealing device from being deteriorated, the shaft sealing device can fulfill an excellent shaft sealing function over a long period of time.
  • the shaft sealing device of the present invention can be utilized as a substitute for an electromagnetic valve and, further since the amount of minute leakage in a shaft sealed state can be controlled, utilized in various technical fields.
  • the shaft sealing device can heighten the shaft sealing power to fulfill the excellent sealability and, in the unsealed state, can flow a fluid at a constant flow rate, with the amount of leakage peculiar to the device body as the flow rate.
  • the shaft sealing device allows the shaft sealing body to have an EPAM structure that can enlarge the pressure or distortion amount during the operation to enable a higher shaft sealing function to be fulfilled, allows the device body to have a light weight because of the simple structure and allows the sound generated to be quiet.
  • the shaft sealing device in which various macromolecular materials are used to enable the configuration of the shaft sealing body and the provision of the shaft sealing structure made appropriate in accordance with the macromolecular materials different in expansion or contraction, or deformation, of the shaft sealing portion. Also in this case, excellent functionality in the time of sealing or unsealing can be fulfilled similarly in the case of the provision of the EPAM structure.
  • the shaft sealing device capable of applying the device body to a small-sized device or instrument and downsizing a space occupied by the shaft sealing device and thus being utilized at various places.
  • the shaft sealing device that can be used as a flow passage switching valve and applied to various switching mechanisms including a piston-cylinder mechanism, for example and, also in this case, control the piston-cylinder operation speed with high precision.
  • the shaft sealing device capable of making a control of a minuter leakage amount in addition to a control of a leakage amount of an ordinary fluid flowing.
  • the shaft sealing device has a shaft sealing structure capable of expanding or contracting the free end of the shaft sealing body in a perfectly circular shape relative to the inner circumferential surface of the device body while maintaining high precision and controlling the shaft sealing body in the shaft sealed state or fluid leakage state on the primary and secondary sides through the circumferential surface of the shaft sealing body coming into contact with or separating from the cylindrical flow passage and can therefore be applied to various kinds of flow passages.
  • the shaft sealing body can be expanded or contracted through performing or stopping the application of the external electro stimuli, it is possible to switch between the sealed state and the unsealed state while preventing deterioration of the device body through keeping the movable portion of the device body to the minimum.
  • the shaft sealing device In the sealed state, the shaft sealing device can heighten the shaft sealing power to fulfill the excellent sealability and, in the unsealed state, can flow a fluid at a constant flow rate, with the amount of leakage peculiar to the device body as the flow rate.
  • the shaft sealing device having the effects, in addition of the effects of claim 12 , of reducing the distortion of the shaft sealing body after the integral formation of the shaft sealing body in the shape of a ring and making the control of the shaft sealed state or fluid leaking state with higher precision.
  • valve structure using the valve sealing device capable of making the structure of the shaft sealing simple and compact and being utilized as a switching valve of a structure which can switch plural flow passages and which has not existed conventionally.
  • the number of the flow passages can be increased in accordance with embodiments and, even in the case of adopting the multiway valve structure, each flow passage can be brought to the prescribed shaft sealed state or fluid leakage state while controlling the shaft sealed state or fluid leakage state with high precision, the valve structure having the shaft sealing device can be controlled as the multiway valve and utilized in various fields.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross section showing one example of a shaft sealing device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 3 is a cross section showing a shaft sealed state of the shaft sealing device of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 4 includes top perspective views showing one example of a sealing member, (a) being an exploded perspective view of the sealing member and (b) being a perspective view showing an assembled state of the sealing member.
  • FIG. 5 includes bottom perspective views showing the example of the sealing member, (a) being an exploded perspective view of the sealing member and (b) being a perspective view showing an assembled state of the sealing member.
  • FIG. 6 is a cross section showing another example of the shaft sealing device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 8 is a cross section showing a movement state of the shaft sealing device of FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 9 includes top perspective views showing a different example of the sealing member, (a) being an exploded perspective view of the sealing member and (b) being a perspective view showing an assembled state of the sealing member.
  • FIG. 10 includes bottom perspective views showing the different example of the sealing member, (a) being an exploded perspective view of the sealing member and (b) being a perspective view showing an assembled state of the sealing member.
  • FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the shape of a holder.
  • FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing an example in which the shaft sealing device of the present invention is applied to a safety valve.
  • FIG. 13 includes schematic views showing an example in which the shaft sealing device of the present invention is applied to a piston-cylinder drive mechanism.
  • FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing the characteristics of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, electroconductive macromolecular material and ionically conductive macromolecular material used in the present invention.
  • FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing the characteristics of the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material which is used in the present invention and which, when having been subjected to external electro stimuli, has a section thereof, other than a section thereof to which the external electro stimuli have been applied, deformed.
  • FIG. 16 includes schematic views showing the movement made when an electric field has been applied to the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material which, when having been subjected to external electro stimuli, has a section thereof, other than a section thereof to which the external electro stimuli have been applied, deformed, (a) being a schematic view showing the distribution of the electric field applied to the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, (b) being a schematic view showing a state of a stress generated on the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material and (c) being a schematic view showing a state in which the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material has been deformed.
  • FIG. 17 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material has been retained by a holder.
  • FIG. 18 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an electroconductive macromolecular material has been retained by a holder.
  • FIG. 19 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an ionically conductive macromolecular material has been retained by a holder.
  • FIG. 20 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of a macromolecular material has been retained by a holder.
  • FIG. 21 includes cross sections showing a state in which a separator has been attached to the shaft sealing device of FIG. 17 .
  • FIG. 22 includes cross sections showing a state in which a separator has been attached to the shaft sealing device of FIG. 18 .
  • FIG. 23 is an explanatory view showing the characteristics of a macromolecular material used for a valve structure.
  • FIG. 24 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material has been formed annularly.
  • FIG. 25 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an electroconductive macromolecular material has been formed annularly.
  • FIG. 26 includes cross sections showing another example of the shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an electroconductive macromolecular material has been formed annularly.
  • FIG. 27 includes cross sections showing a shaft sealing device in which a shaft sealing body made of an ionically conductive macromolecular material has been formed annularly.
  • FIG. 28 is a cross section showing one example of a valve structure using a shaft sealing device.
  • FIG. 29 is a cross section showing a sealed state of the valve structure of FIG. 28 .
  • FIG. 30 includes explanatory views showing a state of development of the shaft sealing body of FIG. 28 , (a) being a schematic perspective view of the shaft sealing body, (b) being a development view showing the front side of (a) and (c) being a development view showing the back side of (a).
  • FIG. 31 is a cross section showing a different example in which the valve structure using the shaft sealing device has been applied to a multiway valve.
  • FIG. 32 is a cross section showing a state in which a flow passage has been switched in the valve structure of FIG. 31 .
  • FIG. 33 includes explanatory views showing a state of development of the shaft sealing body of FIG. 31 , (a) being a schematic perspective view of the shaft sealing body, (b) being a development view showing the front side of (a) and (c) being a development view showing the back side of (a).
  • FIG. 34 is a cross section showing another example in which the valve structure using the shaft sealing device has been applied to a multiway valve.
  • FIG. 35 is a cross section showing a state in which the flow passage has been switched in the valve structure of FIG. 34 .
  • FIG. 36 is a schematic perspective view showing a workpiece used in a CAE analysis.
  • FIG. 37 is a schematic perspective view showing another workpiece used in the CAE analysis.
  • FIG. 38 is a schematic view showing one example of the workpiece deformed in shape in consequence of the CAE analysis.
  • FIG. 39 a schematic view showing another example of the workpiece deformed in shape in consequence of the CAE analysis.
  • FIG. 40 is a schematic view showing a displacement measuring device.
  • FIG. 41 includes graphs showing measurement results of measuring conditions and amounts of displacement by the displacement measuring device, (a) being a graph showing voltage application conditions, (b) being a graph showing a state of electric current at the time of voltage application and (c) being a graph showing the amount of displacement of a measured body.
  • FIG. 42 includes schematic views showing a bend displacement portion of a measured body, (a) being a schematic view showing the displacement portion of the measured body and (b) being an enlarged view of a portion E in (a).
  • the shaft sealing device of the present invention comprises a device body, a shaft sealing portion disposed in the device body, a shaft sealing body disposed in the shaft sealing portion, made of a macromolecular material and made expansible or contractible, or deformable, through outer electro stimuli, and flow passages which are formed in the shaft sealing portion and on which a fluid leaked due to the expansion or contraction, or the deformation, of the shaft sealing body.
  • the expansion or contraction used herein in the present invention is defined by a change in shape of the shaft sealing body accompanying a change in volume of the shaft sealing body, and the deformation is defined by a change in shape of the shaft sealing body accompanying no change in volume of the shaft sealing body.
  • the macromolecular material used in the present invention includes at least four kinds of materials, one being an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material (dielectric elastomer), another an electroconductive macromolecular material, another an ionically conductive macromolecular material and the remainder an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material having deformed a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied.
  • an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material dielectric elastomer
  • another an electroconductive macromolecular material another an ionically conductive macromolecular material
  • the remainder an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material having deformed a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied.
  • the shaft sealing body When external electro stimuli have been applied to the shaft sealing body using the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, the shaft sealing body is expansion-deformed in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the application to heighten shaft sealing power, whereas the shaft sealing body is returned to the original position while being contraction-deformed in the direction orthogonal to the application direction when the application of the external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby lowering the shaft sealing power to induce an appropriate fluid leakage phenomenon.
  • the shaft sealing device using the external electro stimuli forms flow passages when applying no current, i.e. makes a so-called normally open (NO) device operation, and has the material body deformed as a mode of change made when flowing a leaked fluid.
  • NO normally open
  • a potential difference is given (voltage is applied) to between compliant electrodes provided respectively on the front and back surfaces of the elastomer material to reduce the material in the width direction by means of the Coulomb effect, thereby making a motion of expanding the material in the surface direction.
  • the shaft sealing body using the electroconductive macromolecular material is returned to the original position while being expanded when the application of the exterior electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening the shaft sealing power, whereas it is contracted to lower the shaft sealing power when the external electro stimuli have been applied thereto, thereby inducing an appropriate fluid leakage phenomenon.
  • the shaft sealing device using the electroconductive macromolecular material is brought to a shaft sealed state, i.e. a so-called normally closed (NC) device state, when applying no current, and has the material body expanded or contracted as a mode of change made when a leaked fluid flows.
  • a potential difference is given to the electroconductive macromolecular material, the material body is expanded or contracted through adsorption or desorption of moisture in the air.
  • the shaft sealing body using the ionically conductive macromolecular material is returned to the original position while being deformed when the application of the exterior electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening the shaft sealing power, whereas it is deformed to lower the shaft sealing power when the external electro stimuli have been applied thereto, thereby inducing an appropriate fluid leakage phenomenon.
  • the shaft sealing device using the ionically conductive macromolecular material is brought to the NC device state and has the material body expanded or contracted as a mode of change made when a leaked fluid flows.
  • the shaft sealing body using the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material having deformed a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied is returned to the original position while being deformed when the application of the external electro stimuli has been stopped, thereby heightening the shaft sealing power, whereas the section other than the section to which external electro stimuli have been applied is deformed to lower the shaft sealing power, thereby inducing an appropriate fluid leakage phenomenon.
  • the shaft sealing device using this electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is brought to the NC device state and the material body is deformed as a mode of change made when a leaked fluid flows.
  • polyether urethane As one example of the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, for example, polyether urethane can be cited.
  • This material comprises a mixture of a base compound and a curing agent.
  • the base compound includes at least styrene, a nitrile compound, BHT (butylhydroxytoluene) and ester phthalate.
  • the curing agent includes at least phthalic acid, diphenylmethane di-isothianate and ester phthalate.
  • a gel sheet manufactured by EXSEAL Corporation and sold under the trade name Hitohada (registered trademark) can be raised, for example.
  • the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material may be formed of thin silicon film, for example, besides the polyether urethane and, in this case, the same functions and characteristics as described above can be fulfilled.
  • other material than those mentioned above may be used insofar as the material can fulfill the same functions and characteristics as described above.
  • the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is deformed as shown in FIG. 16 .
  • This figure shows a state in which an electric field is given (voltage is applied) to a shaft sealing body 250 formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material that is polyurethane elastomer via fixed electrodes 251 and 252 each opposite locally to the shaft sealing body 250 .
  • an electric field is applied to the fixed electrodes 251 and 252 , with the shaft sealing body 250 sandwiched between the fixed electrodes 251 and 252 , (1) dielectric polyols or polyols having dipole moment are oriented by the electric field to change the structure of a macromolecular chain at the opposite portions of the fixed electrodes 251 and 252 as shown in FIG.
  • the electric field is equally attenuation-distributed in the radial direction (plane direction), with a value at the peripheries of the fixed electrodes 251 and 252 as the maximum value, thereby operating a synthetic deforming stress by the three functions (1) to (3) to form stress distribution reducing the electric field homogenously in the plane direction, with the value at the peripheries of the fixed electrodes 251 and 252 as the maximum value.
  • bend formation is induced.
  • any of the macromolecular materials may be molded in a material shape so as to have characteristics such that the movements made when performing or stopping the application of external electro stimuli are reversed.
  • a fluid leak phenomenon includes so-called minute leakage that indicates a state in which leakage has induced in a shaft sealed state and, when applying external electro stimuli, the value of an electric signal is changed to control the amount of expansion or contraction, or the amount of deformation, thereby enabling an optional control of the degree of contact pressure of the shaft sealing body.
  • Each of the shaft sealing bodies using the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, electroconductive macromolecular material and ionically conductive macromolecular material, of the macromolecular materials described above, is retained by a holder capable of retaining it in the upper and lower directions and, by providing the retaining surfaces of the holder for the shaft sealing body with electrodes electrically connected to an exterior of the device body, it becomes possible to apply or stop the application of the external electro stimuli from the electrodes to the shaft sealing body.
  • FIGS. 17 to 19 are schematic views of the shaft sealing devices in which the shaft sealing bodies formed respectively of the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, electroconductive macromolecular material and ionically conductive macromolecular material are retained by these holders.
  • the shaft sealing device in FIG. 17 has a shaft sealing body 20 A formed of the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material and formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 21 A and having an appropriate thickness.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 A is provided on the upper and lower surfaces thereof with electrodes 22 A and 23 A, respectively.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 A is retained from the upper and lower sides by holders 40 A and 45 A that are provided on the surfaces thereof for retaining the shaft sealing body 20 A with electrodes 50 A and 61 A, respectively, and is configured to enable applying voltage from the electrodes 50 A and 51 A thereto via the electrodes 22 A and 23 A.
  • the shaft sealing device in FIG. 18 has a shaft sealing body 20 B formed of the electroconductive macromolecular material and formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 21 B and having an appropriate thickness.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 B is retained from the upper and lower sides by holders 40 B and 45 B that are provided on the surfaces thereof for retaining the shaft sealing body 20 B with electrodes 50 B and 51 B, respectively, and voltage is applied from the electrodes 50 B and 51 B to the shaft sealing body 20 B.
  • the shaft sealing device in FIG. 19 has a shaft sealing body 20 C formed of the ionically conductive macromolecular material and formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 21 C and having an appropriate thickness.
  • the upper and lower surfaces of the shaft sealing body 20 C are provided with electrodes 22 C and 23 C, respectively.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 C is retained from the upper and lower sides by holders 40 C and 45 C that are provided on the surfaces thereof for retaining the shaft sealing body 20 C with electrodes 50 C and 51 C, respectively, and voltage is applied from the electrodes 50 C and 51 C to the shaft sealing body 20 C.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 C retained between the holders 40 C and 45 C is expanded on the lower surface side and contracted on the upper surface side as shown in FIGS. 14 and 19( a ) and, as a result, entirely deformed to bend, thereby being reduced in shape in the contracting direction.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 C is returned to the original position while being deformed in the diametrical direction.
  • FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the shaft sealing device, in which retained is a shaft sealing body 20 D using an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material deforming a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 D is formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 21 D and having an appropriate thickness.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 D is provided with electrodes 22 D and 23 D sandwiching part of the upper and lower surfaces of the shaft sealing body 20 D.
  • the electrodes 22 D and 23 D are electrically connected to an exterior of the device body, and it is possible to perform or stop the application of the external electro stimuli to part of the shaft sealing body 20 D.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 D is retained by holders 40 D and 45 D from the upper and lower directions via the electrodes 22 D and 23 D.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 D on the side of the electrode 22 D is bend-deformed toward the side of the electrode 23 D to deform part of the shaft sealing body 20 D having emerged as curved, thereby allowing the neighborhood of the outer periphery of the shaft sealing body 20 D to assume a shape contracted in the diametrical direction.
  • elimination of the potential difference causes the shaft sealing body 20 D to be returned to the original position while being deformed in the diametrical direction.
  • FIGS. 21 and 22 are schematic views in which a shaft sealing body has holders and a separator attached thereto.
  • the shaft sealing device in FIG. 21 has a shaft sealing body formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material.
  • the shaft sealing body 30 A is formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 31 A and having an appropriate thickness.
  • the shaft sealing body 30 A is provided on the upper and lower surfaces thereof with electrodes 32 A and 33 A, respectively.
  • the shaft sealing body 30 A and a separator 35 A are retained by holders 40 A and 45 A from the upper and lower sides thereof, and the retaining surfaces of the holders are provided with electrodes 50 A and 51 A, respectively.
  • the separator 35 A is formed of a flexible electroconductive material and brings the electrodes 32 A and 50 A to a conduction state.
  • the separator 35 A has a compliant concentric through-hole 36 A and fixed to the upper surface of the shaft sealing body 30 A by means of adhesive etc.
  • the shaft sealing device in FIG. 22 has a shaft sealing body formed of an electroconductive macromolecular material and, similarly to the case of the shaft sealing body formed of the electro stimuli-responsive material, the shaft sealing body 30 B is formed in the shape of a disc accompanying a concentric through-hole 31 B and having an appropriate thickness.
  • a separator 35 B is fixed to the upper surface of the shaft sealing body 30 B by means of adhesion etc. Holders 40 B and 45 B retains the shaft sealing body 30 B and separator 35 B in the upper and lower directions and has the retaining surfaces thereof provided with electrodes 50 B and 51 B.
  • the shaft sealing body 30 B retained between the holders 40 B and 45 B is urged to contract in the backward direction as shown in FIGS. 14 and 22( a ) but, at this time, the compliant separator 35 A provided on the upper side prevents the shaft sealing body 30 B from being contracted on the upper side and, as a result, the shaft sealing body 30 B is deformed as being curved downward as the separator 35 B as the basis.
  • the elimination of the potential difference allows the shaft sealing body to be returned to the original position while being expanded.
  • the shaft sealing body is reinforced with the separator and can function similarly to that provided with no separator.
  • the shaft sealing device of the present invention may be configured to have different internal structures using various kinds of macromolecular materials and, thus, an appropriate configuration can be adopted in accordance with the state of implementation.
  • FIGS. 1 to 3 show one example of the shaft sealing device according to the present invention.
  • the shaft sealing device in this example has a shaft sealing body formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material and has a structure in which the shaft sealing body is retained by a holder only.
  • a device body 10 comprises a housing 11 , a shaft portion 15 disposed in the housing, a shaft sealing body 20 disposed in the shaft sealing portion, and leakage flow passages 13 and 14 formed in the shaft sealing portion 15 for enabling fluid leakage by deformation of the shaft sealing body 20 .
  • the housing 11 is formed in a substantially tubular shape, and the flow passages within the housing 11 are shaft-sealed with the shaft sealing portion 15 .
  • the shaft sealing portion 15 is provided with a seating face 16 , and the leakage flow passages 13 and 14 are disposed on the opposite sides of the seating face 16 and extend in parallel to each other in the circumferential direction.
  • an abutting surface 24 of the shaft sealing body 20 is abutted on the seating face 16 when the shaft sealing body 20 has been deformed, thereby enabling the formation of a shaft seal.
  • a flow passage can be configured through connection of an appropriate a pipe line, such as a joint or a pipe, to the leakage flow passages 13 and 14 .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 accompanies flexible upper and lower electrodes 22 and 23 and is configured to enable the value of an electric signal to be changed when voltage is applied to the electrodes 22 and 23 .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 is configured to enable the amount of deformation to be controlled by the change of the electric signal value and the degree of pressure contact with the seating face 16 to be optionally changed.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 assumes a substantially circular outer shape and is provided at the center section with a through-hole 21 . It goes without saying that the outer shape of the shaft sealing body 20 includes various shapes, such as quadrangles including a rectangle and a trapezoid, and polygons, besides the annular shape shown in the drawing.
  • a holder 40 comprises an upper holder 41 and a lower holder 45 that sandwich the shaft sealing body 20 .
  • the upper holder 41 has a substantially tubular portion 41 a and a flange portion 41 b disposed on the lower surface of the tubular portion 41 a .
  • the upper holder 41 is provided with an external electrode 50 extending along the axial direction from a retaining surface 41 c on the lower surface of the flange portion 41 b for retaining the shaft sealing body 20 to part of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 41 a .
  • the external electrode 50 is connected to the exterior of the device body 10 . When voltage is applied to the external electrode 50 , it can be applied to the upper electrode 22 of the shaft sealing body 20 .
  • the external electrode 50 is patterned on the front surface of the upper holder 41 that is a three-dimensional circuit-molded part.
  • the lower holder 45 has a substantially columnar portion 45 a and a flange portion 45 b disposed on the lower surface of the columnar portion 45 a .
  • the lower holder 45 is provided with an external electrode 51 extending along the axial direction from a retaining surface 45 c for retaining the shaft sealing body 20 to part of the outer peripheral surface of the columnar portion 45 a .
  • the external electrode 51 is connected to the exterior of the device body 10 . When voltage is applied to the external electrode 51 , it can be applied to the lower electrode 23 of the shaft sealing body 20 .
  • the external electrode 51 is patterned on the front surface of the lower holder 45 with a three-dimensional circuit.
  • the electrode 51 does not short-circuit the external electrode 50 patterned on the upper holder flange portion lower side 41 c .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 is configured such that it is deformed in the circumferential direction to enable diameter enlargement.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 attached to the holders 41 and 45 is attached to a attachment body 17 formed in a substantially tubular shape, and the attachment body 17 is attached to the inside of the housing 11 .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 can be disposed at an appropriate position within the device body 10 .
  • An O-ring 18 is provided between the attachment body 17 and the housing 11 for preventing occurrence of leakage from between them.
  • the same effect can be obtained through integral provision of the attachment body 17 and the holder 41 .
  • a power supply circuit 60 is connected to each of the external electrodes 50 and 51 so that voltage may be applied to the external electrodes 50 and 51 and provided therein with a variable source 61 , a switch 62 and a variable resistor 63 and, when the switch 62 is turned on to close the circuit, voltages of different polarities are applied to the electrodes 22 and 23 of the shaft sealing body 20 to perform electric charge.
  • voltage of negative polarity has been applied to the external electrode 50 of the upper holder 41
  • voltage of positive polarity is to be applied to the external electrode 51 of the lower holder 45 .
  • these voltages can be controlled with the variable source 61 or variable resistor 63 .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 is deformed as being expanded in the circumferential direction and, by this deformation, the abutting surface 24 of the shaft sealing body 20 is brought into pressure contact with the seating face 16 of the device body 10 to shaft-seal the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 13 and 14 , thereby enabling the fluid to be sealed.
  • the device body 10 can control a minute level of fluid leakage amount in addition to the induction of fluid leakage or the control of the amount of leakage to zero.
  • an external discharge circuit discharges an electric charge from the upper and lower electrodes 22 and 23 of the shaft sealing body 20 via the external electrodes 50 and 51 .
  • the shaft sealing body 20 is brought to a nonconductive state and deformed as being reduced in diameter in the circumferential direction to form the concentric gap 8 between the shaft sealing body 20 (abutting surface 24 ) and the housing 11 (seating face 16 ).
  • the fluid kept still sealed is flowed as leaking from the gap ⁇ to enable communication between the flow passages 13 and 14 .
  • the shaft sealing device can be applied to an electromagnetic valve, for example.
  • the device body 10 deforms the shaft sealing body 20 as being enlarged or reduced in diameter through application of external electro stimuli via the external electrodes 50 and 51 . Therefore, the shaft sealing body 20 can seal the fluid in the shaft sealed state in which it is not moved, or flow the fluid while adjusting the amount of leakage after releasing the shaft sealed state.
  • the shaft sealing body 20 when an internal structure in which the shaft sealing body 20 constitutes a movable portion has been adopted, since there is no need to provide a moving mechanism, such as a screw feeding mechanism, sealing and unsealing of the fluid can easily be performed through a reversible switching operation. Furthermore, since the shaft sealing body 20 is not twisted at the moving time, it can be prevented from being injured or deteriorated and maintain an excellent shaft sealing function.
  • the shaft sealing body is formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, it is deformed as being expanded or contracted when voltage has been applied thereto.
  • the shaft sealing body is formed of an electroconductive material, it is enlarged or reduced through the expansion or contraction thereof when voltage has been applied thereto.
  • the shaft sealing body is formed of an ionically conductive macromolecular material or an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material deforming a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied, it is deformed when voltage has been applied thereto.
  • either one of the leakage flow passages 13 and 14 may constitutes a primary or secondary flow passage, the fluid can be leaked or sealed in an optional direction.
  • the same portions as in the above example will be given the same reference numerals and the descriptions thereof will be omitted.
  • the macromolecular material used as the shaft sealing body includes at least four kinds of macromolecular materials, i.e. one being an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, another an electroconductive macromolecular material, another an ionically conductive macromolecular material and the remainder an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material deforming a section other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied, the case of using the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material will be described in this example for convenience of explanation.
  • At least two shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 are provided within a device body 70 , a holder 90 capable of retaining the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 in the upper and lower directions, respectively, is provided, and retaining surfaces of the holder 90 for these shaft sealing bodies are provided with electrodes electrically connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • a holder 90 capable of retaining the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 in the upper and lower directions, respectively, is provided, and retaining surfaces of the holder 90 for these shaft sealing bodies are provided with electrodes electrically connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • the holder 90 comprises a first holder 91 , a second holder 92 , a third holder 93 and a fourth holder 94 and, between adjacent ones of these holders 91 , 92 , 93 and 94 , the two shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 and a separator 95 intervene, respectively.
  • the first holder 91 has a substantially tubular portion 91 a and a flange portion 91 b on the lower side of the tubular portion 91 a .
  • An electrode 100 is formed to extend along the axial direction from the lower side of the flange portion 91 b retaining the shaft sealing body 80 to part of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 91 a and is connected to the exterior of the device body 70 . As a result, voltage applied from the upper side of the tubular portion 91 a to the electrode 100 can be applied to an upper surface 82 of the shaft sealing body 80 .
  • the second holder 92 has a substantially tubular portion 92 a and a flange portion 92 b on the lower side of the tubular portion 92 a , and an electrode 101 is formed to extend along the axial direction from the upper side of the flange portion 92 b to part of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 92 a and is connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • an electrode 101 is formed to extend along the axial direction from the upper side of the flange portion 92 b to part of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 92 a and is connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • the third holder 93 has a substantially tubular portion 93 a and a flange portion 93 b on the lower side of the tubular portion 93 a , and an electrode 102 is formed to extend along the axial direction from the lower side of the flange portion 93 b to part of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 93 a and is connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • the fourth holder 94 has a substantially columnar portion 94 a and a flange portion 94 b on the lower side of the columnar portion 94 a , and an electrode 103 is formed to extend along the axial direction from the upper side of the flange portion 94 b to part of the outer peripheral surface of the columnar portion 94 a and is connected to the exterior of the device body 70 .
  • the voltage in the electrode 103 of the fourth holder is opposite to that in the electrode 102 of the third holder.
  • the electrodes 100 , 101 , 102 and 103 of the holders 91 , 92 , 93 and 94 can be detached to the exterior from the upper sides of the tubular portions 91 a , 92 a and 93 a and columnar portion 94 a , respectively, and voltage can be applied from an external power circuit to each of the electrodes.
  • the power source is not shown in this example, but the lead line therefor is only shown.
  • the outside diameter of the flange portions 91 b , 92 b , 93 b and 94 b is substantially equal to that of the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 and spacer 95 .
  • the outside diameter of the spacer 95 may be made smaller appropriately.
  • it is designed that the relations of the inside diameter of the tubular portion of the first holder 91 >the outside diameter of the tubular portion of the second holder 92 , the inside diameter of the tubular portion of the second holder 92 >the outside diameter of the tubular portion of the third holder 93 and the inside diameter of the tubular portion of the third holder 93 >the outside diameter of the columnar portion of the fourth holder 94 have been satisfied.
  • the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 and the spacer 95 have through-holes so as to be attached to, respectively, between the first and second holders 91 and 92 , between the third and fourth holders 93 and 94 and between the second and third holders 92 and 93 .
  • tubular portions and columnar portion are inserted into the corresponding tubular portions disposed upward, respectively, with the shaft sealing body 80 intervening between the first and second holders 91 and 92 , the shaft sealing body 85 between the third and fourth holders 93 and 94 and the spacer 95 between the second and third holders 92 and 93 .
  • the electrodes 100 and 101 of the first and second holders 91 and 92 do not come into contact with the electrodes 102 and 103 of the third and fourth holders 93 and 94 and, when voltages have been applied to these electrodes, the voltages of different polarities are applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 to enable the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 to be enlarged in diameter in the circumferential direction, respectively.
  • the shaft sealing bodies 80 and 85 made integral are attached to an attachment body 78 forming a substantially tubular shape in conjunction with the holder 90 and spacer 95 , and the attachment body 78 is attached to the inside of the housing 71 via an O-ring 79 .
  • the attachment body 78 and the holder 91 may be made integral with each other.
  • the shaft sealing body 80 between the leakage flow passages 73 and 74 is in non-conductive state to maintain a diameter-reduced state, thereby inducing a gap ⁇ ′ between an abutting surface 84 and a seating face 76 and, therefore, the leakage flow passages 73 and 74 are allowed to communicate via the gap ⁇ ′ with each other to form a leakage flow passage.
  • the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 73 and 74 is closed, whereas the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 74 and 75 becomes in a state communicating with each other.
  • the leakage flow passages can be switched.
  • control of the voltage to be applied varies the size of the gap ⁇ ′′ to enable the adjustment of the leakage flow rate and, furthermore, in the case of adjusting the voltage in the state of bringing the shaft sealing body into pressure contact with seating face, the amount of minute leakage can be controlled.
  • a holder 110 of a different shape is shown and configured to have a flange portion 112 provided on the outside diameter side thereof with plural bored holes 113 and, when having been accommodated within a shaft sealing portion 116 of a housing 115 , form a gap a between the shaft sealing portion 116 and the outer periphery of the flange portion 112 .
  • the bored holes 113 are disposed in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 112 at positions on the outside diameter side thereof from the intermediate position thereof.
  • the holder 110 can guide a shaft sealing body, not shown, when having been expanded or contracted, or deformed, to make the shape of the shaft sealing body stable and enable the flange portion 112 to serve as a guide when the shaft sealing body attached to the holder 110 is inserted into the housing 115 .
  • the outside diameter of the shaft sealing body when having been contracted is set to be smaller than the positions of the bored holes 113 and, when the shaft sealing body attached to the holder 110 is contracted or deformed in the diameter-reducing direction, it is possible to secure (increase) the area for passage of a fluid, thereby making it possible to increase the amount of leakage (flow rate) at the time of shaft sealing leakage.
  • the shaft sealing body when the shaft sealing body is expanded or deformed in the diameter-enlarging direction, it can stop up the bored holes 113 to close the flow passages, thereby making it possible to seal the fluid with exactitude.
  • the flange portion may be formed with cancellous holes, for example, insofar as it can close the flow passages when the shaft sealing body has been increased in diameter or, when the shaft sealing body has been decreased in diameter, increase the area for the passage of the fluid.
  • the mode of the holder does not matter.
  • the above mode of the holder can be utilized for any of the aforementioned shaft sealing devices.
  • FIG. 12 shows an example in which the shaft sealing body is applied to a safety valve 120 .
  • a device body 121 has a shaft sealing body 122 capable of being expanded or contracted, or deformed, by performing or stopping the application of voltage, and the shaft sealing body 122 is accommodated in a housing 123 .
  • the housing 123 is attached to a pipe 124 so as to allow an internal flow passage thereof to communicate with the pipe.
  • a pressure sensor 125 can transmit the fluctuation in internal pressure of the pipe 124 as a voltage signal and detect the variation in internal pressure of the pipe 124 .
  • a switch circuit 126 is disposed between the pressure sensor 125 and the device body 121 and configured to enable stopping the application of voltage to the device body 121 in accordance with the fluctuation of the pressure detected with the pressure sensor 125 . Furthermore, to the switch circuit 126 , voltage having a reference value for provisionally sealing the shaft sealing body during the course of the shaft sealing body 122 reaching a prescribed pressure value in an initial seal of pressure into the pipe is applied.
  • the safety valve 120 stops the application of voltage with the switch circuit 126 when the value of the internal pressure of the pipe 124 detected with the pressure sensor 125 has exceeded a prescribed value and, by the voltage application stopping, the shaft sealing body 122 is contracted or deformed from the normally expanded or deformed state to form a gap between the housing 123 for the device body 121 and the shaft sealing body 122 , thereby enabling the internal pressure of the pipe 124 to be lowered through relief of the pressure from the gap.
  • the switch circuit 126 is used to apply the voltage of the pressure sensor 125 to the shaft sealing body 122 to change the shaft sealing body 122 from the contracted or deformed state to the expanded or deformed state, thereby enabling sealing pressure leakage.
  • FIG. 13 shows an example in which the shaft sealing device of the present invention is applied to a piston-cylinder drive mechanism 130 .
  • a device body 131 has four shaft sealing bodies 132 , 133 , 134 and 135 capable of being expanded or contracted, or deformed, in the circumferential direction accommodated in a housing 136 to enable air flow passages to be switched.
  • the housing 136 is formed therein with leakage flow passages 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 and 141 .
  • the leakage flow passage 137 is provided so as to enable compressed air to be supplied from the exterior to the device body 131
  • the leakage flow passages 138 and 139 are provided so as to enable the compressed air within the device body 131 to be discharged to the exterior.
  • the leakage flow passages 140 and 141 are connected to a cylinder portion 130 a and provided so as to enable supply and discharge the compressed air between the device body 131 and the cylinder portion 130 a.
  • the shaft sealing bodies 132 , 133 , 134 and 135 are disposed between the leakage flow passages 138 and 141 , between the leakage flow passages 141 and 137 , between the leakage flow passages 137 and 140 and between the leakage flow passages 140 and 139 , respectively, and application of voltage to the shaft sealing bodies 132 , 133 , 134 and 135 is controlled to expand or contract, or deform, these shaft sealing bodies to enable a shaft seal between the adjacent leakage flow passages.
  • FIG. 13( a ) by making a control so that application of voltage to the shaft sealing bodies 132 and 134 is stopped to contract or deform these shaft sealing bodies in the diameter-reducing direction and so that voltage is applied to the shaft sealing bodies 133 and 135 to expand or deform these shaft sealing bodies in the diameter-enlarging direction, the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 137 and 140 and the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 141 and 138 are allowed to communicate with each other as shown and, at the same time, the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 139 and 140 and the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 141 and 137 are closed, respectively.
  • FIG. 13( b ) by making a control so that voltage is applied to the shaft sealing bodies 132 and 134 to expand or deform these shaft sealing bodies in the diameter-enlarging direction and so that application of voltage to the shaft sealing bodies 133 and 135 is stopped to contract or deform these shaft sealing bodies in the diameter-reducing direction, the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 137 and 141 and the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 140 and 139 are allowed to communicate with each other as shown and, at the same time, the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 141 and 138 and the flow passage between the leakage flow passages 137 and 140 are closed, respectively.
  • the shaft sealing device of the present invention can shaft-seal the primary and secondary sides of a fluid flow passage and release the shaft seal to induce a prescribed leakage amount, and may be applied to various apparatus and mechanisms insofar as minute leakage can be controlled.
  • the shaft sealing device of the present invention may be configured have the shaft sealing portion formed like a room to constitute a shaft sealing chamber in which a fluid can be accommodated besides the configuration thereof as part of a flow passage.
  • the device body may be formed of a material resistant to a drug solution or provided as an internal structure, thereby enabling supply of the drug solution while sealing the drug solution or controlling the flow rate of the drug solution.
  • an annular shaft sealing body is inserted into a device body via a holder, the shaft sealing body has a base fixed to the holder or device body and an opposite free end and, when external electro stimuli have been applied to the shaft sealing body, the shaft sealing body is expanded or contracted in the shape of a substantially perfect circle, with the free end as a shaft sealing portion, thereby obtaining a shaft sealed state or a fluid leaked state.
  • the device body is formed therein with plural flow passages communicating with the exterior, and the shaft sealing portion that are the free end of the shaft sealing body is disposed between the flow passages to bring the shaft sealing portion to a shaft sealed state or liquid leaked state, thereby enabling switching the flow passages.
  • macromolecular materials of which the shaft sealing body is formed and which are used in the valve structure are shown.
  • the macromolecular materials used in the valve structure can be expanded or deformed through external electro stimuli similarly in the case of the aforementioned shaft sealing device and includes at least three kinds of materials, i.e. one being an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, another an electroconductive macromolecular material and the remainder an ionically conductive macromolecular material.
  • the characteristics of these macromolecular materials are the same as those of the aforementioned macromolecular materials.
  • this macromolecular material having an appropriate configuration can be utilized in the valve structure using the shaft sealing device, similarly to the three kinds of the macromolecular materials described herein below.
  • the characteristics of the macromolecular material are the same as those of the aforementioned macromolecular material.
  • a plate-shaped base is provided on the front and back surfaces thereof with electrodes, respectively and, in the case of using an electroconductive macromolecular material as the macromolecular material, there is no need to provide the front and back surfaces of the plate-like base with electrodes, but the plate-like base is molded into an annular shape.
  • the shaft sealing body if formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material or an ionically conductive material, is provided on hollow cylindrical inner and outer peripheral surfaces thereof integrally with electrodes, respectively.
  • FIGS. 24 to 26 are schematic views showing a plate-shaped base material of a shaft sealing body formed into an annular shape.
  • the valve structure in FIG. 24 has a shaft sealing body 160 A which is formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material and which has a plate-like base material 161 A having electrodes 162 A and 163 A patterned on the outer and inner peripheries thereof.
  • the base material 161 A is formed in a concentric hollow cylindrical shape.
  • a holder 170 A retains the shaft sealing body 160 A from the inner periphery thereof so that voltage may be applied from the exterior to the electrodes 162 A and 163 A of the shaft sealing body 160 A via communication holes 171 A and 172 A formed in the holder 170 A and through-holes 164 A and 165 A formed in the shaft sealing body 160 A.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 A has the through-holes 164 A and 165 A fixed to the communication holes 171 A and 172 A of the holder 170 A to form a base 166 A and has a free end 167 A, opposite to the base 166 A, enabled to expansion-deform in the shape of a substantially perfect circle relative to the holder 170 A.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 A when a power source not shown has been turned on and a potential difference has been given to between the electrodes 162 A and 163 A on the outer and inner peripheries of the tubular shaft sealing body 160 A, the shaft sealing body 160 A is deformed in a direction of being expanded in the axial direction. At this time, since the shaft sealing body 160 A has its surface on the side of the separator 168 A maintained, the shape of the inner periphery on the side opposite to the side of the separator 168 A is more expanded. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24( a ), the shaft sealing body 160 A has the free end 167 A, except for the base 166 A, is deformed as being enlarged in diameter relative to the holder 170 A maintaining a reference cylindrical shape. In addition, when the potential difference has been eliminated, as shown in FIG. 24( b ), the free end 167 A of the shaft sealing body is returned to the original position as being deformed to reduce its diameter along the holder 170 A.
  • a holder 170 B retains the shaft sealing body 160 B from the inner periphery thereof, and it is configured that voltage can be applied from the exterior to the outer and inner peripheral surfaces 162 B and 163 B of the shaft sealing body 160 B via communication holes 171 B and 172 B formed in the holder 170 B and through-holes 164 B and 165 B formed in the shaft sealing body 160 B.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 B has the through-holes 164 B and 165 B fixed to the communication holes 171 B and 172 B of the holder 170 B to form a base 166 B, and a free end 167 B opposite to the base 166 B can be expanded or contracted, or deformed, in the shape of a substantially perfect circle relative to the holder 170 B.
  • the valve structure in FIG. 27 has a shaft sealing body 160 C formed of an ionically conductive macromolecular material and, similarly to the case of the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, a plate-like base material 161 C has electrodes 162 C and 163 C patterned on the outer and inner peripheries thereof and is formed in a concentric hollow cylindrical shape.
  • a separator may be attached as occasion demands.
  • a holder 170 C retains the shaft sealing body 160 C from the inner periphery thereof, and it is configured that voltage can be applied from the exterior to the electrodes 162 C and 163 C via communication holes 171 C and 172 C formed in the holder 170 C and through-holes 164 C and 165 C formed in the shaft sealing body 160 C.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 C has the through-holes 164 C and 165 C fixed to the communication holes 171 C and 172 C of the holder 170 C to form a base 166 C, and a free end 167 C opposite to the base 166 C can be expanded or contracted, or deformed, in the shape of a substantially perfect circle relative to the holder 170 C.
  • FIGS. 28 to 30 show one example of the valve structure using the shaft sealing device.
  • a shaft sealing body 160 has front and back surfaces 161 a and 161 b of a base material 161 provided with electrodes 162 and 163 , respectively, and has the base material 161 molded into an annular shape as shown in FIG. 30( a ).
  • FIG. 30( b ) is a development view having the shaft sealing body 160 developed, with line ab-a′b′ in FIG.
  • FIG. 30( a ) is a development view showing the backside of FIG. 30( a ), and a hatched portion in the figure denotes the electrode 163 .
  • the electrodes 162 and 163 have belt-like electrodes 162 a and 163 a , respectively, each having a width one half the width of the shaft sealing body 160 in the axial direction and, when the shaft sealing body 160 is molded into a perfect circle, the belt-like electrodes 162 a and 163 a are formed on the front and back surfaces 161 a and 162 a describing circumferences, respectively.
  • Extraction electrodes 162 b and 163 b drawn from and connected to the belt-like electrodes 162 a and 163 a , respectively, are provided with through-holes 164 and 165 opposed to each other, whereby voltage can be applied to the entire electrodes from the through-holes 164 and 165 via the extraction electrodes 162 b and 163 b . Since the configuration is such that voltage is applied to the electrodes 162 and 163 on the front and back surfaces via the through-holes 164 and 165 as described above, the electrodes 162 and 163 are not short-circuited, and it is possible to apply voltages of opposite polarities to the front and back surfaces 161 a and 161 b of the shaft sealing body 160 .
  • a holder 170 comprises a substantially circular portion 170 a , a diameter-increasing portion 170 b slightly larger in diameter than the cylindrical portion 170 a and a lid portion 170 c larger in diameter than the diameter-increasing portion 170 b .
  • the cylindrical portion 170 a has an outside diameter not shown but made slightly smaller than the inside diameter, not shown, of the shaft sealing body 160 and has the outer periphery thereof to which the shaft sealing body 160 can be attached.
  • the diameter-increasing portion 170 b has an outside diameter not shown but made substantially equal or slightly smaller than the inside diameter, not shown, of a device body 150 and can be inserted into the inside diameter of the device body 150 .
  • the lid portion 170 c has an outside diameter capable of covering an opening end 152 of the device body 150 . Furthermore, the holder 170 is formed with communication holes 171 and 172 at positions corresponding to those of the through-holes 164 and 165 of the shaft sealing body 160 and, via the communication holes 171 and 172 , wires can be connected from the power supply circuit 60 to the electrodes 162 and 163 , respectively.
  • the power supply circuit 60 has the power source 61 and switch 62 and, when the switch 62 has been turned on, the circuit is closed to enable voltage to be applied to the electrodes 162 and 163 .
  • the circuit 60 may be provided therein with a variable resistor not shown to enable the voltage to be adjusted.
  • the polarities of the power source 61 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 28 and 29 , but may be vise versa.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 is attached to the position of the diameter-increasing portion 170 b of the holder 170 while subjecting the through-holes 164 and 165 and the communication holes 171 and 172 to alignment with each other, respectively, thereby enabling the shaft sealing body 160 to the holder 170 in an appropriately positioned state, and it is possible to connect the power supply circuit 167 from the inside of the holder 170 to the electrodes 162 and 163 via the communication holes 171 and 172 .
  • This connection can be attained by connecting the electrode 163 to the extraction electrode 163 b on the inner peripheral side via the communication hole 172 , whereas the electrode 162 is connected to the extraction electrode 162 b on the outer peripheral side in a state in which the communication hole 171 and through hole 164 are allowed to communicate with each other.
  • an appropriate fixing material is sealed in the through-holes 164 and 165 and communication holes 171 and 172 to fix a base 166 of the shaft sealing body 160 to the holder 170 .
  • a free end 167 opposite to the base 166 can be deformed as being enlarged or reduced in diameter in the shape of a substantially perfect circle relative to the holder 170 .
  • the sealed-in fixing material seals the through-holes and communication holes, thereby preventing a fluid from entering the holder 170 .
  • the inside of the holder 170 may be filled with a potting material shown by two-dot chain lines.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 is inserted via the holder 170 into the device body 150 and, at the time the insertion, the diameter-increasing portion 170 b is inserted until the lid portion 170 c of the holder 170 is abutted on the opening end 152 of the device body, thereby obtaining the appropriate position enabling the free end 167 to be abutted on a seating face that constitutes a valve seal.
  • the opening end 152 is formed with an annular groove 152 a to which an O-ring 154 is attached, after the holder 170 and device body 150 are made integral with each other, the O-ring 154 seals between the device body 150 and the holder 170 to prevent a fluid from leaking between the two.
  • the cylindrical device body 150 is formed in the circumferential face direction with plural flow passages 155 and 156 communicating with the exterior, and the seating face 153 is provided between the flow passages 155 and 156 .
  • the free end 167 is expanded or contracted, or deformed, in the shape of a substantially perfect circle.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, with the opposite surfaces thereof provided with the electrodes 162 and 163 , and has the base 166 fixed to the holder 170 and the free end 167 , the shaft sealing body 160 is urged to deform as being enlarged in diameter in proportion as it goes to its distal end at the time of the application of voltage. As a result, the shaft sealing body 160 has the free end 167 enlarged in diameter in the circumferential direction more than the base 166 , i.e. assumes a shape widening toward the end (a trumpet shape).
  • the shape in the diameter-enlarged state has a cross section in the direction orthogonal to the axis becomes a shape of a substantially perfect circle.
  • the free end 167 of the shape of the substantially perfect circle is brought into circumferential pressure contact with the perfectly circular seating face 153 when higher voltage has been applied thereto to close between the passages 155 and 156 , thereby enabling the shaft sealed state to be obtained.
  • the minute leakage amount can be adjusted to the prescribed flow rate to enable the shaft sealing body 160 to be operated as a valving element.
  • the shaft sealing body 160 is in a nonconductive state and, as shown in FIG. 28 , the free end 167 is returned to the original state in which it is deformed as being reduced in diameter and the entire shaft sealing body 160 assumes the substantially tubular shape.
  • This deformation forms a gap between the shaft sealing body 160 and the device body 150 to allow the flow passages 155 and 156 to communicate with each other to enable the fluid to flow.
  • the device body 150 is fabricated so that a gap between the device body 150 and the shaft sealing body 160 when the shaft sealing body 160 has been reduced in diameter may be around 0.5 mm and, as a result, a fluid can flow at the time of the diameter reduction and minute leakage induced when the shaft sealing body 160 has been enlarged or contracted in diameter can be controlled with high precision.
  • the shaft sealing body formed of the ionically conductive macromolecular material has been described in the valve structure using the shaft sealing device in this example.
  • the shaft sealing body may be formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material, an electroconductive macromolecular material, an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material having a section, other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied, deformed, or other macromolecular material.
  • a valve structure is adopted to meet each of the macromolecular materials to be used.
  • the shaft sealing body is formed of an electroconductive macromolecular material, for example, there is no need to provide the shaft sealing body with electrodes.
  • a flexible separator 169 is attached to the macromolecular material on the side of the outer or inner periphery of the shaft sealing body 160 .
  • FIGS. 31 to 33 show an example in which the valve structure using the shaft sealing device is applied to a multiway valve.
  • a shaft sealing body 190 is formed of an ionically conductive macromolecular material and has a substantially central neighborhood thereof serving as a base 196 fixed to a cylindrical portion 201 of a holder 200 and opposite ends thereof serving as free ends 197 and 198 . As shown in FIG.
  • the shaft sealing body 190 has front and back surfaces 191 a and 191 b of the axial opposite ends provided with belt-like electrodes 192 a 1 and 192 a 2 and belt-like electrodes 193 a 1 and 193 a 2 , respectively, and extraction electrodes 192 b 1 , 192 b 2 , 193 b 1 and 193 b 2 extend from the belt-like electrodes 192 a 1 , 192 a 2 , 193 a 1 and 193 a 2 to the axial central neighborhood, thereby constituting electrodes 192 and 193 .
  • electrodes of the same polarity are disposed on different ends of the front and back surfaces 191 a and 191 b of the shaft sealing body 190 via one through-hole, and voltages of the same polarity can be applied from one through-hole to the electrode on the front surface 191 a of one end and to the electrode on the back surface 191 b of the other end.
  • a through-hole 194 is connected to the extraction electrodes 192 b 1 and 192 b 2 and since the extraction electrodes 192 b 1 and 192 b 2 are connected to belt-like electrodes 192 a 1 and 192 a 2 , it is possible to apply voltage from the through-hole 194 to the electrodes 192 and 192 on the front and back surfaces at the same time.
  • electrodes are similarly configured with respect to a through-hole 195 , voltage can simultaneously be applied from the through-hole 195 to the electrodes 193 and 193 on the front and back surfaces.
  • the polarities of a power supply circuit not shown can be switched, voltages of opposite polarities can be applied to the electrodes 192 and 193 , respectively.
  • a device body 180 has three flow passages 185 , 186 and 187 formed therein in a circumferential direction and two inner cylindrical annular portions (seating faces) 183 and 184 formed on the inner periphery thereof and sandwiched between the adjacent two of the three flow passages 185 , 186 and 187 .
  • the two free ends 197 and 198 are disposed at the positions of the two inner cylindrical annular portions 183 and 184 and, when voltage has been applied to expand or contract the free ends 197 and 198 , the free ends 197 and 198 are brought into contact with or separated from the inner cylindrical annular portions 183 and 184 , as shaft sealing portions, thereby enabling switching the flow passages 185 , 186 and 187 .
  • FIG. 31 shows a state, in which voltages have been applied to the front and back surfaces of the free end 197 so that the front side of the free end 197 may be contracted relative to the shaft sealing body 190 and the back side thereof may simultaneously be expanded relative to the same.
  • the free end 197 is brought into pressure contact with the inner cylindrical annular portion 183 while being enlarged in diameter and maintaining the shape of a substantially perfect circle, thereby obtaining a shaft-sealed state.
  • the free end 198 is urged to have the front side expanded and the back side contracted.
  • the free end 198 is contracted in the inside diameter direction and brought to a state in which the free end is separated from the inner cylindrical annular portion 184 . Consequently, a space between the flow passages 185 and 186 is shaft-sealed with a circumferential seal by the free end 197 , whereas a gap is formed between the flow passages 186 and 187 communicating with each other to enable a fluid to flow from the flow passage 186 to the flow passage 187 as shown in the figure.
  • the polarities of voltages from the power supply circuit are switched to apply voltage of a polarity, which enables the front surface of the free end 197 to be expanded and the back surface thereof to be contracted, to the free end and apply voltage of a polarity, which enables the front surface of the free end 198 to be contracted and the back surface thereof to be expanded, to the free end.
  • the free end 197 is contracted in the inside diameter direction to separate from the inner cylindrical annular portion, whereas the free end 198 is urged to enlarge its diameter while maintaining the shape of a substantially perfect circle.
  • the shaft sealing body when the opposite ends of the shaft sealing body are made free, by forming the shaft sealing body of the ionically conductive macromolecular material or electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material having a section, other than a section to which external electro stimuli have been applied, deformed, as is done in this embodiment, the application of voltage enables the opposite side free ends to be expanded and contracted, respectively, even in the case where the front and back surfaces of the base material are provided with electrodes of opposite polarities at the opposite free ends. This is because the ionically conductive macromolecular material can reverse its deformation (expansion or contraction) direction by changing the polarity of the voltage to be applied.
  • the deformation direction or expansion or contraction direction of the macromolecular materials at the time of performing or stopping the application voltage is decided irrespective of a difference in polarity, it is impossible that the opposite free ends of a single base material are deformed (expanded or contracted) in different directions. Therefore, when using each of these macromolecular materials and making the opposite ends free, two base materials of the same material are attached to the inner or outer peripheral surface of the macromolecular material to obtain an integral body, an electrode is disposed on each of the base materials and, with this state maintained, the entirety is attached to the holder.
  • FIGS. 34 and 35 show another example in which the valve structure using the shaft sealing device is applied to a multiway valve.
  • the valve structure has two shaft sealing devices of FIG. 31 continuously disposed in the axial direction, and the free end of each shaft sealing body is used as a shaft sealing portion that is brought to a shaft-sealed state or fluid leakage state, thereby making a large number of fluid passages switchable.
  • a device body 210 is formed with five flow passages 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 and 220 in the circumferential direction and four inner cylindrical annular portions (seating faces) 212 , 213 , 214 and 215 each sandwiched between adjacent two of the flow passages 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 and 220 .
  • the holders 200 each having the shaft sealing body 190 attached thereto are inserted from two opening ends 211 a and 211 b into the device body 210 , respectively, to bring the free ends 197 and 198 of the shaft sealing bodies 190 and 190 into contact with or separate them from the inner cylindrical annular portions 212 , 213 , 214 and 215 , thereby making it possible to switch the five flow passages.
  • different power supply circuits are connected to the shaft sealing bodies 190 to enable the shaft sealing bodies 190 to be operated individually.
  • valve structure using the shaft sealing device therefore, by connecting an air supply opening and an exhaust opening of an air pressure operable actuator not shown to the flow passages 217 and 219 , for example, when compressed air has been supplied from the flow passage 218 in the state of FIG. 34 , it is possible to send the compressed air to a first air chamber of a cylinder not shown via the flow passage 219 and, at the same time, exhaust the compressed air from a second air chamber disposed across a piston within the cylinder via the flow passage 217 out of the flow passage 216 .
  • valve structure using the shaft sealing device is used as an electromagnetic changeover valve, for example, to enable controlling the operation of the actuator and, as described above, it is possible to use the free end of the shaft sealing body as the shaft sealing portion that is brought into contact with or separated from at least two inner cylindrical annular portions (seating faces), thereby making it possible to switch the flow passages.
  • a multiway valve can be provided through disposing two or more shaft sealing bodies within the device body.
  • the flow passages 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 and 220 are formed in different circumferential directions of the device body and, as a consequence, this example can be applied to all kinds of multiway valves.
  • the base of the shaft sealing body is attached to the holder.
  • the shaft sealing body can be fixed to the device body and, also in this case, the shaft-sealed state or fluid leakage state can be obtained in the same manner as described above.
  • the CAE analysis method included the steps of giving a temperature difference to between the inner and outer peripheries of the workpiece and confirming the state of deformations when having been expanded or contracted due to the temperature difference.
  • the workpiece A was a single layer of cylinder having dimensions of 7 mm in outside diameter, 5 mm in inside diameter and 10 mm in height at 24.85° C. (normal temperature) and having one end thereof constrained and the other end thereof made free, expansible and contractible.
  • the conditions of constraint included the steps of dividing the height of 10 mm into two sections H 1 and H 2 , constraining both the inner and outer peripheries of the section H 1 and making both the inner and outer peripheries of the section H 2 free.
  • the workpiece A was used to simulate the movements of the shaft sealing body 160 formed of an ionically conductive macromolecular material as shown in FIG. 28 and make analyses through substitution of the section H 1 for the neighborhood of the base 166 of the shaft sealing body 160 and of the section H 2 for the neighborhood of the free end 167 .
  • the workpiece B shown in FIG. 37 had the same dimensions as the workpiece A, was axially divided into two members X7 mm in outside diameter (6 mm in inside diameter) and Y 6 mm in outside diameter (5 mm in inside diameter) and integrally combining the two members X and Y together. At that time, a heat-insulating layer 0.1 mm in thickness not shown was allowed to intervene between the members X and Y in order to prevent heat transfer between the respective members.
  • the conditions of constraint of the workpiece B included the steps of dividing the height of 10 mm into two sections H 3 and H 4 , constraining both the inner and outer peripheries of the section H 3 and making both the inner and outer peripheries of the section H 4 free, similarly to the case of the workpiece A.
  • the workpiece B was used to simulate the movements of the shaft sealing body 160 of FIG. 28 formed of an electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material or an electroconductive macromolecular material in the case of using the separator 169 , allow the shaft sealing body 160 to serve as the member Y and the separator 169 to serve as the member X and make analyses through the substitution of the section H 3 for the neighborhood of the base 166 and the section H 4 for the neighborhood of the free end 167 .
  • the material for each workpiece might have an appropriate linear coefficient of expansion and, when it was TFE (tetrafluoroethylene), for example, the linear coefficient of expansion thereof was 79.0 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 5 /° C. at 20° C., 20.0 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 5 /° C. at 0° C., 16.0 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 5 /° C. at 30° C., 12.4 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 5 /° C. at 50° C. and 13.5 ⁇ 10 ⁇ 5 /° C. at ⁇ 50° C., for example.
  • the linear coefficient of expansion thereof at a set temperature having no temperature value the value obtained by the regression calculation was adopted.
  • the Poisson ratio of each workpiece before and after the deformation thereof was set to be 0.46.
  • the temperatures set for sections during heat transfer to the workpiece A are shown in Table 1.
  • the inner periphery of the workpiece A was expressed as the inner avoiding surface on the inner periphery and the outer periphery thereof as the outer avoiding surface on the outer periphery, and the combinations of the temperatures on these surfaces were as shown in the table.
  • the temperatures set for sections during heat transfer to the workpiece B are shown in Table 2.
  • the entire members X and Y of the workpiece B were give temperatures, respectively. This was because the state of deformations made by giving relative temperature differences to the inner and outer peripheries of the workpiece B was substituted for the state of deformations of the shaft sealing body and the separator in the shaft sealing body having the separator attached thereto.
  • each of the workpieces A and B was, as shown in the schematic view of FIG. 38 when the inner periphery was set at low temperatures (minus temperatures) and the outer periphery at high temperatures (plus temperatures), such that a distal end (free end) 230 of each workpiece had a diameter shape contracted more in proportion as it went toward the distal end side while maintaining a shape of a substantially perfect circle. At that time, that tendency was further strengthened in the case where the temperature difference between the inner and outer peripheries became larger.
  • the maximum amount of deformation (the amount of contraction in diameter) of the free end in set temperature No. 2 of the workpiece A became 0.008 mm at the inside diameter side, and that of the free end in set temperature No. 3 having a larger temperature difference became 0.015 mm.
  • the maximum amount of deformation of the free end in set temperature No. 7 of the workpiece B became 0.008 mm, and that of the free end in set temperature No. 8 having a larger temperature difference became 0.013 mm.
  • a distal end 230 ′ of each workpiece assumed a diameter shape expanded more in proportion as it went toward the distal (upper) end side, i.e. a shape substantially widening toward the end. Also in that case, that tendency was further strengthened when the temperature difference between the inner and outer peripheries became larger.
  • the maximum amount of deformation (the amount of expansion in diameter) of the free end in set temperature No. 4 of the workpiece A became 0.010 mm at the outside diameter side, and that of the free end in set temperature No. 5 having a larger temperature difference between the inner and outer peripheries became 0.015 mm.
  • the maximum amount of deformation of the free end in set temperature No. 9 of the workpiece B became 0.008 mm, and that of the free end in set temperature No. 10 having a larger temperature difference became 0.013 mm.
  • the displacement measurement device 240 has a movable stand 242 for fixing a measured body (a gel sheet sold under the trade name Hitohada (registered trademark) and product code H0-1) 241 and a stage 243 capable of moving the stand 242 .
  • a high-voltage power supply (sold under the type of HJPQ-30P1 and manufactured by Matsusada Precision Inc.) 244 is connected to fixed electrodes not shown for clamping the measured body 241 to enable the application of voltage to the measured body 241 .
  • a laser displacement gauge (sold under the type of LJ-G080 and manufactured by Keyence Corporation) 245 irradiates the measured body 241 with a laser L to enable the measurement of the amount of bending displacement of the measured body 241 .
  • the measured body 241 was clamped by the fixed electrodes of the displacement measurement device 240 and fixed to the stand 242 .
  • the movable stage 243 was used to adjust the distance between the measured body 241 and the laser displacement gauge 245 .
  • the high-voltage power supply 244 was operated, with the above state maintained, to stepwise increase the voltage from 0 V to 7 kV by 1 kV per 20 sec. to be applied to the measured body 241 as shown in FIG. 41( a ) and, during the operation, the amount ⁇ of bending displacement of the measured body 241 was measured with the laser displacement gauge 245 .
  • FIG. 41( b ) shows the states of a current under the application of the voltage.
  • FIG. 42 shows the movement of the measured body at the time of applying voltage.
  • the measured body 241 was bent and deformed from the foot thereof toward a negative electrode by the application of voltage and, at that time, the distance from an end face 241 a of the measured body 241 when no voltage (0 V) was applied to a corner 241 b thereof when voltage was applied was defined as the amount ⁇ of displacement.
  • the transition of the amount ⁇ of displacement is shown by a graph in FIG. 41( c ).
  • the displacement of the measured body 241 was confirmed from FIG. 41 when the voltage applied reached 4 kV. Furthermore, when the applied voltage reached 7 kV, the amount ⁇ of displacement was about 1.15 mm that was the maximum value. In addition, when the applied voltage was decreased from the state of 7 kV to the state of no voltage (0 V), it was confirmed that the measured body 241 was returned to the initial shape (before the voltage was applied).
  • the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material of which the measured body 241 was formed was suitable for use in the shaft sealing device of the present invention because the maximum amount of deformation thereof under the above conditions was 1.15 mm that was a large value.
  • the measured body 241 was bent toward the negative electrode when the voltage was applied thereto.
  • the bending direction was reversed (toward the positive electrode). In actual use, therefore, the measured body can be bent in a desired bending direction through adoption of the condition described above.
  • an NO seal device can be constituted by beforehand setting that the electro stimuli-responsive macromolecular material is molded into a bent shape in an initial state and deformed into a plane shape when voltage has been applied.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Sealing Devices (AREA)
  • Electrically Driven Valve-Operating Means (AREA)
  • Gasket Seals (AREA)
  • Details Of Valves (AREA)
US12/451,299 2007-06-19 2008-06-19 Shaft sealing device and valve structure using the same Abandoned US20100051846A1 (en)

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JP2007-160880 2007-06-19
JP2007-263755 2007-10-09
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PCT/JP2008/061259 WO2008156150A1 (ja) 2007-06-19 2008-06-19 軸封装置とこれを用いた弁構造

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EP (2) EP2148117A4 (de)
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JP4394749B2 (ja) 2010-01-06
CN103557331B (zh) 2016-05-04
EP2148117A1 (de) 2010-01-27
WO2008156150A1 (ja) 2008-12-24
EP2148117A4 (de) 2014-11-12
CN103557331A (zh) 2014-02-05
JP2010014279A (ja) 2010-01-21
JPWO2008156150A1 (ja) 2010-08-26
KR20100023799A (ko) 2010-03-04
KR101463128B1 (ko) 2014-11-20
EP3232096A1 (de) 2017-10-18
US9032996B2 (en) 2015-05-19
CN101680548A (zh) 2010-03-24
US20140013938A1 (en) 2014-01-16
JP5431106B2 (ja) 2014-03-05

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