WO2013133229A1

WO2013133229A1 - Valve device

Info

Publication number: WO2013133229A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/055890
Authority: WO
Inventors: 直樹矢島; 泊　辰弘; 穣上野; 橋本　稔; 利博平井
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社; 国立大学法人信州大学
Priority date: 2012-03-07
Filing date: 2013-03-04
Publication date: 2013-09-12
Also published as: JP2015121233A

Abstract

Provided is a valve device in which the size, weight, and cost can be significantly reduced in comparison to conventional configurations. A valve device (1) for driving a valve body (31) via an actuation member (33) by flexible deformation of a contracting type polymer gel actuator (10), wherein the actuation member (33) advances and retracts in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which a negative electrode plate (11) and a positive electrode plate (13) advances and retracts, and power transmission parts (41, 43) are provided between the negative electrode plate (11) and positive electrode plate (13) and the actuation member (33), the advancing and retracting movements of the negative electrode plate (11) and the positive electrode plate (13) being converted into the advancing and retracting movement of the actuation member (33), and transmitted, by the power transmission parts (41, 43). A configuration is present so that when the negative electrode plate (11) and the positive electrode plate (13) are moved so as to approach each other by application of a voltage to the polymer gel actuator (10), the actuation member (33) is pushed toward the valve body (31) via the power transmission parts (41, 43).

Description

Valve device

The present invention relates to a valve device suitable for use in hydraulic control of hydraulic equipment such as an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a valve device having an actuator made of a solenoid is used as a valve device for switching a flow path of hydraulic fluid for shift control in an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle. For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, this type of valve device includes a valve body for opening and closing an oil passage and a solenoid for driving the valve body via a plunger. By switching on and off, the valve body is driven to switch the opening and closing of the oil passage. That is, in this type of valve device, when the power is turned off, the oil passage is closed by pressing the valve body against the seating surface by the plunger biased by the spring. On the other hand, when the power is turned on, the plunger retracts against the biasing force of the spring by the electromagnetic force of the solenoid. Thereby, the valve body is separated from the seating surface by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil, and the oil passage is opened.

JP 2003-74729 A

By the way, in the valve device including the actuator composed of the solenoid as described above, various members such as a metal solenoid and a magnet are built in, so that the structure is complicated, the number of parts is large, and the external dimensions and weight are large. There was a problem of being big. In addition, there is a problem that the cost of parts increases. In particular, in an automatic transmission for a vehicle, a plurality of valve devices having the above-described configuration (usually about 4 to 6) are used in one automatic transmission. It gets bigger. Furthermore, in the valve device having the above-described configuration, there is a problem that the operating noise when opening and closing the oil passage is increased due to the driving sound of the solenoid.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and its object is to achieve a significantly smaller size, lighter weight, and lower cost with an extremely simple structure as compared with a valve device having a conventional solenoid. It is in providing the valve apparatus which can aim at.

The present invention for solving the above problems includes a fluid passage (21) through which a fluid flows, a valve body (31) for opening and closing the fluid passage (21), and one or a plurality of flat cathode plates ( 11) and one or a plurality of mesh-like anode plates (13) are alternately laminated, and a shrinkage is formed by sandwiching a polymer gel (15) between each cathode plate (11) and each anode plate (13). Type polymer gel actuator (10), an operating member installed between at least one of the cathode plate (11) and anode plate (13) and the valve body (31) so as to be movable back and forth in a linear direction (33), and by driving the valve body (31) via the actuating member (33) by expansion and contraction by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer gel actuator (10), the fluid passage (21 ) Valve device configured to switch between opening and closing 1) The direction in which the actuating member (33) moves back and forth is orthogonal to the direction in which the cathode plate (11) and anode plate (13) move back and forth as the polymer gel actuator (10) expands and contracts. The forward / backward movement of the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) is converted into the forward / backward movement of the operation member between the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) and the operation member (33). When the power transmission part (41, 43) for transmitting is provided and the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) move toward each other by application of a voltage to the polymer gel actuator (10), The actuating member (33) is configured to move to the valve body (31) via the power transmission unit (41, 43), and when the voltage is not applied to the polymer gel actuator (10), the valve While the body (31) opens the fluid passage (21) It is a so-called normal open type (type in which the fluid passage opens when no voltage is applied) in which the valve element (31) closes the fluid passage (21) when a voltage is applied to the polymer gel actuator (10). It is characterized by being. In addition, as said polymer gel, the PVC gel formed by adding a plastic material to polyvinyl chloride (PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride) can be used.

According to the valve device of the present invention, a polymer gel actuator including a polymer gel sandwiched between a cathode plate and an anode plate is provided as an actuator for driving the valve body. Thereby, compared with the valve apparatus provided with the actuator which consists of the conventional solenoid, it can aim at the significant size reduction, weight reduction, and cost reduction of a valve apparatus with a very simple structure. Particularly, since an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle uses a plurality of valve devices for hydraulic control, if the valve device having the above-described configuration according to the present invention is used as the valve device, the automatic transmission and the vehicle can be downsized. This can greatly contribute to weight reduction and cost reduction. Further, in the valve device according to the present invention, since the valve body is driven by the expansion and contraction of the polymer gel actuator, the operation noise accompanying the opening and closing of the fluid passage is not generated or may be extremely small, so that the quietness during operation can be reduced. It can be secured.

Further, in the above valve device, as a configuration for applying a pressing force to the valve body using the contraction type polymer gel actuator, the forward and backward movements of the cathode plate and the anode plate of the polymer gel actuator are moved forward and backward. The power transmission part which converts into and transmits is provided. When the cathode plate and the anode plate move toward each other by applying a voltage to the polymer gel actuator, the operating member moves to the valve body side via the power transmission unit. As a result, a normally open type valve device in which the valve body closes the fluid passage when a voltage is applied to the polymer gel actuator, while having a simple and inexpensive configuration and excellent quietness during operation. It can be realized. In addition, since the movement of the cathode plate and the anode plate is converted into the movement of the operating member to drive the valve body, an appropriate load is applied to the valve body without using the fluid flow force. Since the fluid passage can be closed, a valve device excellent in controllability of the flow path opening / closing operation can be configured.

As one aspect of the power transmission unit, the first inclined surface (11a, 13a) which is provided on the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) and which is inclined with respect to the advancing / retreating direction, and the operating member (33). ) Provided with a second inclined surface (36a, 38a) that is inclined with respect to the forward / backward movement direction, and the first inclined surface (11a, 13a) and the second inclined surface (36a, 38a) It can comprise so that it may contact | abut by surface contact. In this case, when the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) are moved closer to each other by applying a voltage to the polymer gel actuator (10), the second inclined surface (11a, 13a) is moved to the second inclined surface. When the surfaces (36a, 38a) are pressed, the operating member (33) moves to the valve body (31) side.

According to this configuration, the valve body is obtained by converting the movement of the cathode plate and the anode plate into the movement of the actuating member with a simple configuration that does not require a new component for the power transmission unit and reduces the number of components. Can be driven. Moreover, since it is a simple structure which only the inclined surfaces contact, the possibility that malfunctions, such as a malfunctioning, will arise in a valve apparatus decreases. Therefore, the valve device is excellent in reliability and durability.

Further, the valve device described above may include a biasing member (16) that biases the operating member (33) away from the valve body (31). By providing such an urging member, the operating member can be made to follow the cathode plate and the anode plate that return to the initial position when the application of the voltage to the polymer gel actuator is released. Therefore, the operating member and the valve body can be reliably returned to the original positions.

Alternatively, instead of the urging member (16), the first inclined surface (11a, 13a) and the second surface are provided between the cathode plate (11) and the anode plate (13) and the operating member (33). A guide mechanism (17, 18) may be provided for moving the operating member (33) forward and backward while maintaining a contact state with the inclined surfaces (36a, 38a). The guide mechanism (17, 18) includes projections (11b, 13b) provided on the cathode plate (11) or anode plate (13) side and other projections (36b, 38b) provided on the operating member (33) side. It is desirable that the first and second inclined surfaces (11a, 13a) and the second inclined surfaces (36a, 38a) are engaged with each other so as to be relatively movable.

By providing such a guide mechanism, when the application of voltage to the polymer gel actuator is released, the operating member can be made to follow the cathode plate and the anode plate that return to the initial position. It can be returned to its original position. In addition, the guide mechanism allows the cathode plate, the anode plate, and the operating member to be moved relative to each other while maintaining contact with each other, so that the operating member can be moved forward and backward stably. Further, since the urging member can be omitted by providing the above-described guide mechanism, the number of parts of the valve mechanism can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

In addition, the valve device according to the present invention includes a storage portion (56) that stores the polymer gel actuator (10-3, 10-4), and the storage portion (56) includes the polymer gel actuator (10-3, 10-4). 10-4) in a first housing state in which the expansion / contraction deformation direction is perpendicular to the driving direction of the valve body (31), and the expansion / contraction deformation direction is the driving direction of the valve body (31). It may be a structure that can be selectively accommodated in both of the second accommodation state in which it is accommodated so as to be in the same direction.
When the polymer gel actuator (10-3) is housed in the first housed state, the valve element (31) pressed by the polymer gel actuator (10-3) when a voltage is applied to the fluid passage (21 When the polymer gel actuator (10-4) is accommodated in the second accommodation state, the contraction type polymer gel actuator (10-4) contracts when a voltage is applied. Thus, the valve body (31) becomes a normally closed type valve device that opens the fluid passage (21), so that it is possible to selectively adopt both the normally open type and the normally closed type.

According to this configuration, the first accommodation state in which the polymer gel actuator is accommodated so that the expansion / contraction deformation direction is orthogonal to the driving direction of the valve body, and the expansion / contraction deformation direction is the driving direction of the valve element. A normally open type valve device configured to push out the valve body when a voltage is applied, and a voltage that can be selectively accommodated in both the second accommodated state accommodated in the same direction as It is possible to realize a valve device that can be applied to any of the normally closed type valve devices configured to allow the valve body to be pushed back when applied. Since this valve device can share a large number of components in the normally open type and the normally closed type, the types of components required for the two types of valve devices can be reduced. In addition, since part of the assembly process can be shared, the efficiency of the assembly work can be improved. Thus, the valve device can be configured at low cost.
In addition, the code | symbol in said parenthesis shows the code | symbol of the component in embodiment mentioned later as an example of this invention.

According to the valve device according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve a significant reduction in size, weight and cost with an extremely simple structure as compared with a conventional valve device.

It is a sectional side view which shows the valve apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining the operation of the PVC gel actuator and the valve device, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a state in which the oil passage is opened when no voltage is applied, and FIG. 2B is a diagram in which the oil passage is closed when voltage is applied. FIG. FIG. 3A is a view showing a valve device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3A is a view showing a state where an oil passage is opened when no voltage is applied, and FIG. 3B is a view showing a state where the oil passage is closed when a voltage is applied. FIG. 4A is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along the line AA of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4B is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross section taken along the line BB of FIG. 3A. is there. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a valve device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a state where an oil passage is opened when no voltage is applied, and FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a state where the oil passage is closed when a voltage is applied. FIG. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the cathode member, FIG. 6B is a developed view of the cathode member, and FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the anode member. FIG. 6D is a developed view of the anode member, and FIG. 6E is a perspective view showing a state in which the cathode plates and the anode plates are alternately arranged in a stacked state. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the arrangement configuration of the connection pieces and the terminal pieces, and is a schematic diagram showing the Z arrow view of FIG. 5A, and FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the valve apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a valve device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A valve device 1 shown in the figure is a valve device suitable for use in controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid for shift control in an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle. This valve device 1 includes an oil passage (fluid passage) 21 through which hydraulic oil flows, a ball valve (valve element) 31 for opening and closing the oil passage 21, and a PVC gel actuator ( Polymer gel actuator) 10, and a ball valve 31 and a case (valve body) 50 that accommodates the PVC gel actuator 10 are configured.

The case 50 includes a main body 51 formed in a substantially quadrangular cylindrical shape, and a substantially cylindrical shaft 52 having a smaller cross-sectional area than the main body 51 protruding from one end of the main body 51. Yes. The main body 51 and the shaft 52 are configured by an integrally formed outer case 53, and an inner case 55 for accommodating the PVC gel actuator 10 is fitted on the inner peripheral side of the outer case 53 in the main body 51. Match. On the other hand, an oil passage 21 is formed inside the shaft portion 52. The oil passage 21 includes an inflow port 22 that extends in the axial direction from the tip of the shaft portion 52 toward the main body portion 51 side, and

outflow ports

23 and 23 that extend radially outward from the downstream end of the inflow port 22. . A spherical ball valve 31 is accommodated at the downstream end of the inflow port 22, and a valve seat portion 24 for seating the ball valve 31 is provided. The ball valve 31 moves in the oil passage 21 so as to come into contact with and separate from the valve seat portion 24. Thereby, the opening and closing of the oil passage 21 is switched.

The main body 51 of the case 50 has a double structure of an outer case 53 and an inner case 55. Inside the inner case 55, an accommodating portion 56 for accommodating the PVC gel actuator 10 is formed. A terminal portion 59 to which an external terminal (not shown) for supplying power to the PVC gel actuator 10 is connected is provided on the bottom portion 55a of the inner case 55.

A plunger (actuating member) 33 is interposed between the PVC gel actuator 10 and the ball valve 31. The plunger 33 includes a base portion 34 that contacts the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 of the PVC gel actuator 10, and a rod-shaped needle portion 35 that protrudes from the base portion 34 toward the ball valve 31 side. The base portion 34 is a flat plate extending from the root portion of the plunger 33 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the plunger 33, and a pair of protrusions protruding toward the PVC gel actuator side (upper side) at both ends thereof.

Portions

36 and 38 are provided. Inside the

protrusions

36 and 38, the tips (upper ends) of the

protrusions

36 and 38 filled with a part of the PVC gel 15 are inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the forward / backward movement direction (vertical direction) of the plunger 33. (Second inclined surface) 36a, 38a. The

inclined surfaces

36a, 38a on both sides are symmetrical with each other, and are inclined so as to gradually rise from the outer diameter side of the plunger 33 toward the center side. In the present embodiment, the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a are inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to both the forward / backward movement direction of the plunger 33 and the forward / backward movement directions of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13.

Further, coil springs (biasing means) 16 and 16 are interposed between the outer surface (lower surface) of the base portion 34 of the plunger 33 and the inner surface of the outer case 53 opposed thereto. The coil springs 16 and 16 are installed on both sides of the needle portion 35, respectively, and the plunger 33 is urged toward the PVC gel actuator 10 (upper side) by being arranged with the axial direction facing the vertical direction. is doing.

Further, the tip of the needle portion 35 of the plunger 33 comes into contact with and presses the ball valve 31. Further, a drain chamber 26 for allowing excess hydraulic oil from the oil passage 21 to flow in is provided at a portion of the shaft portion 52 in which the needle portion 35 is accommodated. Further,

drain ports

27 and 27 are opened from the drain chamber 26 toward both outer sides in the radial direction of the shaft portion 52.

The PVC gel actuator 10 is a polymer gel actuator including a PVC gel (polymer gel) 15 formed by adding a plastic material to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and a cathode plate 11 and an anode plate 13 are connected to each other in a predetermined manner. In this configuration, the PVC gels 15 are sandwiched between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 so as to face each other at intervals. The cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 are installed on both sides in the lateral direction orthogonal to the forward / backward movement direction of the plunger 33 in the accommodating portion 56 (the axial direction of the valve device 1 and the driving direction of the ball valve 31). . Each of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 has a substantially rectangular outer shape that follows the inner shape of the inner case 55. While the cathode plate 11 is formed in a flat plate shape, the anode plate 13 is formed in a fine mesh (mesh) shape whose entire surface intersects vertically and horizontally, although detailed illustration is omitted. As a result, the PVC gel actuator 10 has a configuration in which the lamination direction contracts when the PVC gel 15 enters the mesh-shaped gaps of the anode plate 13 when a voltage is applied. The basic configuration and operation of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10 are described in “Misaki Yamano, Naoki Ogawa, Satoshi Hashimoto, Midori Takasaki, Toshihiro Hirai: Structure and drive characteristics of contraction type PVC gel actuator, Japanese robot. It is disclosed in the academic journal vol.27 No.7, pp.718-724,2009.

Then, an inclined surface (first inclination) that is inclined with respect to the forward / backward movement direction (lateral direction) of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 at the lower end (plunger 33 side) of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13. Surface) 11a, 13a. The inclined surface 11a of the cathode plate 11 and the inclined surface 13a of the anode plate 13 are inclined in such a direction that they gradually rise from the outer diameter side of the plunger 33 toward the center side. The

inclined surfaces

11a and 13a on both sides are symmetrical with each other, and are inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to both the forward / backward movement direction of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 and the forward / backward movement direction of the plunger 33.

The plunger 33 is urged toward the PVC gel actuator 10 by the urging force of the coil spring 16, so that the inclined surface 36 a of one protrusion 36 of the plunger 33 faces the inclined surface 11 a of the cathode plate 11. In contact with each other, the inclined surface 38 a of the other protrusion 38 of the plunger 33 is in contact with the inclined surface 13 a of the anode plate 13 in surface contact. Therefore, when the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 are moved closer to each other by applying a voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10, the

inclined surfaces

11a and 13a of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 are moved to the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a of the plunger 33. When the pressing force is applied, the plunger 33 is moved to the ball valve 31 side (downward) by the pressing force.

Further, a locking plate 58 is installed at a position facing the upper end surface (the end surface opposite to the plunger 33) of the PVC gel actuator 10 in the accommodating portion 56. The locking plate 58 is interposed between the upper end surface of the PVC gel actuator 10 and the bottom portion 55 a of the inner case 55. The upper end surface of the PVC gel 15 is locked by the locking plate 58. Accordingly, the PVC gel 15 has the inner surface of the inner case 55 that surrounds both the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 installed on both end surfaces in the left-right direction shown in FIG. 1 and both side surfaces in the front-rear direction (front side and back side of the page). In addition, the locking plate 58 provided on the upper end surface side and the plunger 33 provided on the lower end surface side surround the four side surfaces and the upper surface except the lower surface side. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13, and the terminal part 59, the wiring for electrically connecting them is provided.

2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the PVC gel actuator 10 and the valve device 1, and FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a state in which the oil passage 21 is opened when no voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10. FIG. These are figures which show the state by which the oil path 21 was closed at the time of the voltage application to the PVC gel actuator 10. FIG.

In a state in which no voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10, as shown in FIG. 2A, the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 are separated on both sides in the accommodating portion 56, whereby the inclined surface 11a of the cathode plate 11 is obtained. And the inclined surface 13a of the anode plate 13 does not push down the

inclined surfaces

36a, 38a of the plunger 33, and the plunger 33 is in a position retracted upward. In this state, the ball valve 31 is urged away from the valve seat portion 24 by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the inflow port 22. As a result, the oil passage 21 is opened.

When a predetermined voltage is applied between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 of the PVC gel actuator 10 from the state shown in FIG. 2A, the PVC gel 15 sandwiched between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 becomes the anode plate. Move towards 13. At that time, because the anode plate 13 has a mesh shape, the PVC gel 15 is deformed and enters the mesh-like gap of the anode plate 13. As a result, the height dimension of the PVC gel actuator 10 in the stacking direction becomes smaller (thin) compared to the state where no voltage is applied, and the distance between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is reduced. Then, a pressing force acts on the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a of the plunger 33 from the

inclined surfaces

11a and 13a of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13, so that the plunger 33 resists the biasing force of the coil spring 16 by the pressing force. It moves to the ball valve 31 side (lower side). Thus, due to the load applied to the plunger 33 from the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 of the PVC gel actuator 10, the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31 move downward (movement amount ΔL), and the ball valve 31 is the valve of the oil passage 21. Sit on the seat 24. Thereby, the oil passage 21 is closed. The specific set value of the voltage applied to the PVC gel actuator 10 may be determined in consideration of the generated force (load) necessary for driving the ball valve 31.

On the other hand, when the application of the voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10 is stopped, the PVC gel 15 that has been attracted to the cathode plate 11 until then returns to the original state, so that the distance between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is increased. Expands to the original position. As a result, the plunger 33 pushed down by the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is raised by the urging force of the coil spring 16 and the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the inflow port 22 applied to the ball valve 31, and the ball valve 31 is moved to the valve seat. The oil passage 21 is opened away from the portion 24.

Thus, in the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the opening and closing of the oil passage 21 is switched by the PVC gel actuator 10 being deformed according to the presence or absence of voltage application. The valve device 1 is a so-called normal open type in which the oil passage 21 is opened in a state where no voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10, and the oil passage 21 is closed by applying a voltage. It is a valve device.

In the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the forward and backward movement of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is caused to advance and retract by the

inclined surfaces

11 a and 13 a of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 and the

inclined surfaces

36 a and 38 a of the plunger 33. The

power transmission parts

41 and 43 which convert and transmit to are comprised. Thereby, the actuator mechanism which can give pressing force with respect to the exterior at the time of the application of the voltage to the contraction type | mold PVC gel actuator 10 is comprised.

Further, in the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the coil spring 16 that urges the plunger 33 toward the PVC gel actuator 10 is provided. When the application of voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10 is canceled by the biasing force of the coil spring 16, the plunger 33 is placed on the inclined surface 11a of the cathode plate 11 and the inclined surface 13a of the anode plate 13 that return to the initial positions on both sides. By causing the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a to follow, the plunger 33 can be returned to the original position retracted upward.

Further, the PVC gel actuator 10 has a simple configuration as compared with a solenoid, and is small and lightweight. Therefore, in the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the PVC gel actuator 10 is provided as an actuator for driving the ball valve 31, so that it is extremely simple compared to a valve device provided with an actuator composed of a conventional solenoid. With a simple structure, the valve device 1 can be greatly reduced in size, weight, and cost. In particular, since an automatic transmission mounted on a vehicle uses a plurality of valve devices for hydraulic control, if the valve device 1 having the above configuration according to the present embodiment is used as the valve device, the automatic transmission and the vehicle can be downsized. It can greatly contribute to weight reduction and cost reduction. Further, in the valve device 1 of the present embodiment, the ball valve 31 is driven by the expansion and contraction of the PVC gel actuator 10, so that the operation noise associated with the opening and closing of the oil passage 21 does not occur or is extremely small. Therefore, the valve device 1 is excellent in quietness during operation.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of the second embodiment and the corresponding drawings, the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted below. In addition, matters other than those described below are the same as those in the first embodiment. This is the same in other embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the valve device 1-2 of the second embodiment, FIG. 3A is a view showing a state where the oil passage 21 is opened when no voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10-2, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which an oil passage 21 is closed when a voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10-2. Compared with the valve device 1 of the first embodiment, the valve device 1-2 of the present embodiment omits the coil spring 16 that urges the plunger 33 upward. As an alternative, the cathode plate 11 and the plunger 33 A guide mechanism 17 for guiding the relative movement between them is provided, and a guide mechanism 18 for guiding the relative movement between the anode plate 13 and the plunger 33 is also provided.

4 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the

guide mechanisms

17 and 18, FIG. 4A is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a section taken along the line AA in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. Both guide

mechanisms

17 and 18 are bilaterally symmetrical and have the same shape. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide mechanism 17 provided between the cathode plate 11 and the plunger 33 includes a protrusion 11 b formed along the inclined surface 11 a of the cathode plate 11 and the protrusion 36 of the plunger 33. The projection 36b formed along the inclined surface 36a is engaged with each other. The

protrusions

11b and 36b extend along the direction in which the

inclined surfaces

11a and 36a are in sliding contact with each other by the relative movement of the cathode plate 11 and the plunger 33, and the cross-sections are substantially wedged on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction. A mold protrusion is formed. The guide mechanism 17 engages the wedge-shaped protrusion of the protrusion 11b and the wedge-shaped protrusion of the protrusion 36b adjacent to each other so that the cathode plate 11 and the plunger 33 are in contact with each other. The inclined surface 11a and the inclined surface 36a are configured to guide relative movement in the sliding contact direction.

Further, the guide mechanism 18 provided between the anode plate 13 and the plunger 33 is formed along the projection 13 b formed along the inclined surface 13 a of the anode plate 13 and the inclined surface 38 a of the protruding portion 38 of the plunger 33. The projection 38b is engaged with each other. The

protrusions

13b and 38b extend along the direction in which the

inclined surfaces

13a and 38a are slidably contacted with each other by the relative movement of the anode plate 13 and the plunger 33, and the cross sections are substantially wedge-shaped on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction. A mold protrusion is formed. The guide mechanism 18 is engaged with the wedge-shaped protrusion of the protrusion 13b and the wedge-shaped protrusion of the protrusion 38b adjacent to the protrusion 13b so that the anode plate 13 and the plunger 33 are brought into contact with each other. The inclined surface 13a and the inclined surface 38a are configured to guide relative movement in the sliding contact direction thereof.

In the valve device 1-2 of the present embodiment, the gap between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is narrowed by applying a voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10-2, as in the valve device 1 of the first embodiment. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3B, the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 push down the base portion 34 of the plunger 33, so that the tip of the needle portion 35 comes into contact with and presses the ball valve 31. At this time, the one inclined surface 36 a of the plunger 33 is relatively moved (slided) while maintaining a state of surface contact with the inclined surface 11 a of the cathode plate 11 by the guide mechanism 17. Further, the other inclined surface 38 a of the plunger 33 is relatively moved (slided) while maintaining a state of surface contact with the inclined surface 13 a of the anode plate 13 by the guide mechanism 17. Accordingly, the plunger 33 moves downward while maintaining the state in which the

inclined surfaces

36a, 38a are in surface contact with the inclined surface 11a of the cathode plate 11 and the inclined surface 13a of the anode plate 13.

On the other hand, when the application of voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10 is stopped, the distance between the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 increases to the original position. At this time, the

guide mechanisms

17 and 18 are slid while maintaining the state in which the inclined surface 11a of the cathode plate 11 and the inclined surface 13a of the anode plate 13 and the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a of the plunger 33 are in surface contact with each other. Plunger 33 is pulled upward as 11 and anode plate 13 are separated. As a result, the lower end of the plunger 33 is separated from the ball valve 31, the ball valve 31 is raised by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the inflow port 22, the ball valve 31 is separated from the valve seat portion 24, and the oil passage 21 is be opened.

In the valve device 1-2 and the PVC gel actuator 10-2 of the present embodiment, since the

guide mechanisms

17 and 18 are provided, the voltage to the PVC gel actuator 10-2 can be provided even if the coil spring 16 is not provided. When the application of is canceled, the plunger 33 can be returned to the original position by following the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 that return to the initial positions on both outer sides. Therefore, by omitting the coil spring 16, the number of parts of the valve device 1-2 can be reduced, and the weight and cost of the valve device 1-2 can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a view showing a valve device 1-3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5A is a view showing a state in which the oil passage 21 is opened when no voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10-3. FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a state in which the oil passage 21 is closed when a voltage is applied to the PVC gel actuator 10-3. The PVC gel actuator 10-3 included in the valve device 1-3 of the present embodiment has a plurality of cathode plates 11-3a instead of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 included in the PVC gel actuator 10 of the first embodiment. A cathode member 11-3 and an anode member 13-3 having a plurality of anode plates 13-3a are provided. Then, a plurality of cathode plates 11-3a and a plurality of anode plates 13-3a are alternately stacked along the lateral direction (the direction orthogonal to the driving direction of the ball valve 31) in the accommodating portion 56, and each cathode The PVC gel 15 is sandwiched between the plate 11-3a and each anode plate 13-3a. Each cathode plate 11-3a is formed in a flat plate shape, and each anode plate 13-3a is formed in a mesh shape.

The configuration of the portion composed of the cathode plates 11-3a, 11-3a on both outer sides of the PVC gel actuator 10-3 and the plunger 33 in contact with them is the same as that of the PVC gel actuator 10 of the first embodiment. The

power transmission portions

41 and 43 are constituted by the

inclined surfaces

11a and 11a provided at the lower ends of the cathode plates 11-3a and 11-3a on both sides, and the

inclined surfaces

36a and 38a of the plunger 33 that abuts them, A coil spring 16 that biases the plunger 33 upward is provided. Although not shown, guide

mechanisms

17 and 18 similar to those of the PCV gel actuator 10-2 of the second embodiment may be provided in place of the coil spring 16 described above. That is, the PVC gel actuator 10-3 included in the valve device 1-3 of the present embodiment includes the PVC gel actuator 10-3 in addition to the configuration of the PVC gel actuator 10 or 10-2 of the first or second embodiment. In this structure, a plurality of other cathode plates 11-3a and anode plates 13-3a are stacked between the outer cathode plates 11-3a and 11-3a along the stacking direction. Note that the number of stacked cathode plates 11-3a and anode plates 13-3a in the PVC gel actuator 10-3 takes into account the amount of displacement (movement amount) of the ball valve 31 required to open and close the oil passage 21. It is good to decide.

In the PVC gel actuators 10-1 and 10-2 of the first and second embodiments, only the pair of the cathode plate 11 and the anode plate 13 is installed in the accommodating portion 56. There is a possibility that it is difficult to ensure a good operation when a voltage is applied because the separation distance is large. In contrast, in the PVC gel actuator 10-3 of the present embodiment, a plurality of sets of cathode plates 11-3a and anode plates 13-3a are arranged in a stacked state in the horizontal direction, so that each set of cathode plates 11- The distance between 3a and anode plate 13-3a is kept small. As a result, it is possible to ensure a good operation when a voltage is applied, so that the operability of the PVC gel actuator 10-3 can be improved.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the cathode member 11-3 and the anode member 13-3 included in the PVC gel actuator 10-3 of the present embodiment, FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the cathode member 11-3, and FIG. FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the anode member 13-3, FIG. 6D is a development view of the anode member 13-3, and FIG. 6E is a cathode plate 11-1a of the cathode member 11-1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which anode plates 13-3a of the anode member 13-3 are alternately stacked. As shown in these drawings, the cathode member 11-3 includes a plurality of cathode plates (electrode plates) 11-3a, connection pieces (wiring portions) 11-3b connecting the cathode plates 11-3a, A terminal piece 11-3c for connecting (conducting) the cathode plate 11-3a to the terminal portion 59 of the valve device 1-3 is integrally provided. The anode member 13-3 also includes a plurality of anode plates (electrode plates) 13-3a, connection pieces (wiring portions) 13-3b connecting the anode plates 13-3a, and one anode plate 13-3a as a valve. The terminal piece 13-3c for connecting (conducting) to the connecting terminal portion 59 provided in the device 1-3 is integrally provided. As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6D, the cathode member 11-3 and the anode member 13-3 are both metal thin plate-like members, and can be integrally formed by pressing. In FIG. 5, the connection pieces 11-3b and 13-3b and the terminal pieces 11-3a and 13-3a are not shown.

FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the arrangement of the connection pieces 11-3b and 13-3b and the terminal pieces 11-3c and 13-3c, and is a schematic diagram showing the Z arrow in FIG. 5A. As shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 6, the connecting piece 13-3c of the anode member 13-3 and the connecting piece 11-3c of the cathode member 11-3 are connected to the cathode plate 11-3a so as not to interfere with each other. The anode plates 13-3a are provided on different end sides. Further, it is desirable that the connection piece 11-3c and the connection piece 13-3c are coupled to the cathode plate 11-3a and the anode plate 13-3a in a state where the both ends have a slight deflection. Further, as shown in FIG. 6E, the terminal pieces 11-3c of the anode member 13-3 and the terminal pieces 11-3c of the cathode member 11-3 are arranged by shifting their positions in the stacking direction so that they do not interfere with each other. is doing.

As a structure for preventing the anode plate 13-3a and the cathode plate 11-3a from coming into contact with each other when a voltage is applied, as shown in FIG. 5, each anode plate 13- An insulating member 19 is provided between 3a and the cathode plate 11-3a. FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the insulating member 19. As shown in the figure, the insulating member 19 is formed in a substantially U-shaped (U-shaped) strip that opens downward. Each insulating member 19 has the same shape and is made of a flexible insulating material such as a soft synthetic resin. By attaching the insulating member 19 so as to cover the upper surface and the three front and rear surfaces of the PVC gel 15 interposed between the anode plates 13-3a and the cathode plates 11-3a, the anode is formed outside the PVC gel 15. The contact between the plate 13-3a and the cathode plate 11-3a can be prevented.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, if the outer surface of the insulating member 19 is set so as to be positioned outside the end sides of each anode plate 13-3a and each cathode plate 11-3a, adjacent cathode plates The connecting piece 11-3b connecting the 11-3a contacts the anode plate 13-3a, and the connecting piece 13-3b connecting the adjacent anode plates 13-3a contacts the cathode plate 11-3a. Can be reliably prevented. The insulating member 19 is not necessarily provided, and the installation may be omitted when there is no possibility that the anode member 13-3 and the cathode member 11-3 are in contact with each other.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a valve device 1-4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The valve device 1-4 according to the fourth embodiment changes the orientation of the PVC gel actuator 10 installed in the accommodating portion 56, as compared with the valve devices 1-1 through 1-3 according to the first to third embodiments. . That is, the PVC gel actuators 10 to 10-3 of the valve devices 1 to 1-3 of the first to third embodiments have their expansion / contraction deformation directions orthogonal to the driving direction of the ball valve 31. In contrast, the PVC gel actuator 10-4 of the valve device 1-4 according to the present embodiment is installed so that its expansion and deformation direction is the same as the driving direction of the ball valve 31.

Similar to the PVC gel actuator 10-3 of the third embodiment, the PVC gel actuator 10-4 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of cathode plates 11-4a included in the cathode member 11-4 and a plurality of elements included in the anode member 13-4. The anode plates 13-4a are alternately stacked, and the PVC gel 15 is sandwiched between the cathode plates 11-4a and the anode plates 13-4a. In addition, the code | symbol 57 of FIG. 8 is a groove part for arrange | positioning the connection piece 11-4b which connects each cathode plate 11-4a.

In the valve device 1-4 of the present embodiment, the stacking direction of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10-4 is set to the same direction as the forward / backward movement direction of the plunger 33 (drive direction of the ball valve 31). . Further, the PVC gel actuator 10-4 in the accommodating portion 56 is locked at one end (upper end in the figure) in the stacking direction by a locking plate 58. Thus, the PVC gel actuator 10-4 is installed in the accommodating portion 56 in a state where the stacking direction is slightly compressed in advance, and is assembled with a predetermined preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31. It has been.

In the valve device 1-4 configured as described above, the ball valve 31 is seated on the valve seat portion 24 by a preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31 from the PVC gel actuator 10-4 when no voltage is applied. . As a result, the oil passage 21 is closed. In this state, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the cathode member 11-4 and the anode member 13-4, the PVC gel 15 sandwiched between each cathode plate 11-4a and each anode plate 13-4a It moves toward each anode plate 13-4a. At this time, since the anode plate 13-4a has a mesh shape, the PVC gel 15 is deformed and enters the mesh-like gap of the anode plate 13-4a. As a result, the height dimension of the PVC gel actuator 10-4 in the stacking direction becomes smaller (thin) compared to the state where no voltage is applied. Accordingly, the preset load applied to the plunger 33 and the ball valve 31 from the PVC gel actuator 10-4 is released, so that the ball valve 31 is separated from the valve seat portion 24 by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the inflow port 22. Move to. Thereby, the ball valve 31 is separated from the valve seat portion 24 and the oil passage 21 is opened. When the application of the voltage is stopped, the PVC gel 15 returns to the original state, so that the height of the PVC gel actuator 10-4 in the stacking direction returns to the original dimension. Then, the ball valve 31 is seated on the valve seat portion 24 by the preset load, and the oil passage 21 is closed.

In the valve device 1-4 of the present embodiment, the expansion / contraction deformation direction of the contraction type PVC gel actuator 10-4 is the same as the driving direction of the ball valve 31. Thus, the oil passage 21 is closed when no voltage is applied, and a normally closed valve device is configured in which the ball valve 31 is retracted and the oil passage 21 is opened when a voltage is applied.

The valve device according to the present invention adopts both the configurations of the valve device 1-3 of the third embodiment and the valve device 1-4 of the fourth embodiment by replacing some of the components. Possible structures can be obtained. That is, in order to realize such a valve device, in the valve device 1-3 (1-4), the PVC gel actuator 10-3 (10-4) is configured so that its expansion / contraction deformation direction is a ball. The first accommodation state (third embodiment) for accommodating the valve 31 in a direction orthogonal to the driving direction of the valve 31 and the expansion / contraction deformation direction are the same as the driving direction of the ball valve 31. What is necessary is just to employ | adopt the structure which can be selectively accommodated in both the states with a 2nd accommodation state (4th Embodiment).

When the PVC gel actuator 10-3 accommodated in the first accommodation state is provided in the accommodation portion 56 as in the valve device 1-3 of the third embodiment, the PVC gel actuator 10-3 is applied when a voltage is applied. Thus, the normally closed type valve device is formed in which the oil passage 21 is closed by the ball valve 31 pressed in step S2. On the other hand, when the PVC gel actuator 10-4 accommodated in the second accommodating state is provided in the accommodating portion 56 as in the valve device 1-4 of the fourth embodiment, the PVC gel actuator 10 is applied when a voltage is applied. -4 contracts to provide a normally closed type valve device in which the oil passage 21 is opened.

According to this, both types of valves, a normally open type valve device in which the ball valve 31 is pushed out when a voltage is applied, and a normally closed type valve device in which the ball valve 31 is pushed back by hydraulic oil in the oil passage 21 when a voltage is applied. A part of the apparatus can be realized with a common configuration. Since this valve device can share most of the components including the shrinkable PVC gel actuator 10-3 (10-4) between the two types, the types of parts required for the two types of valve devices. Can be reduced. In addition, since two types of valve devices can share a part of the assembly process, the efficiency of the assembly work can be improved. As a result, two types of valve devices having different operation types can be manufactured at low cost.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims and the specification and drawings. Is possible.

Claims

A fluid passage through which fluid flows;
A valve body for opening and closing the fluid passage;
A shrinkable polymer gel in which one or a plurality of flat cathode plates and one or a plurality of mesh-like anode plates are alternately laminated and a polymer gel is sandwiched between each cathode plate and each anode plate An actuator,
An operation member installed between the cathode plate and at least one of the anode plate and the valve body so as to be movable forward and backward in a linear direction;
With
A valve device configured to switch between opening and closing of the fluid passage by driving the valve body via the actuating member by expansion and contraction by controlling a voltage applied to the polymer gel actuator,
The direction in which the actuating member moves forward / backward is a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the cathode plate and the anode plate move forward / backward with expansion / contraction deformation of the polymer gel actuator,
Between the cathode plate and the anode plate and the operating member, there is provided a power transmission unit that converts the forward / backward movement of the cathode plate and the anode plate into the forward / backward movement of the operating member for transmission.
When the cathode plate and the anode plate move toward each other by applying a voltage to the polymer gel actuator, the actuating member is configured to move toward the valve body via the power transmission unit,
The valve element opens the fluid passage when no voltage is applied to the polymer gel actuator, and the valve element closes the fluid passage when a voltage is applied to the polymer gel actuator. A valve device characterized by.
The power transmission unit is
A first inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the forward / backward movement direction provided on the cathode plate or the anode plate; and a second inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the forward / backward movement direction provided on the operating member. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are in contact with each other by surface contact,
When the cathode plate and the anode plate are moved closer to each other by applying a voltage to the polymer gel actuator, the second inclined surface is pressed by the first inclined surface, so that the operating member is The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is configured to move to the valve body side.
The valve device according to claim 1, further comprising an urging member that urges the operating member in a direction away from the valve body.
A guide mechanism is provided between the cathode plate or the anode plate and the operating member for moving the operating member forward and backward while maintaining the contact state between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface. And
The guide mechanism is configured such that a protrusion provided on the cathode plate or anode plate side and another protrusion provided on the actuating member side are relative to each other only in the sliding direction of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein the valve device is configured to be movably engaged.
A housing portion for housing the polymer gel actuator;
The housing portion includes a first housing state in which the polymer gel actuator is housed such that the expansion / contraction deformation direction thereof is perpendicular to the driving direction of the valve body, and the expansion / contraction deformation direction of the valve body is It is a configuration that can be selectively accommodated in both the second accommodation state in which it is accommodated in the same direction as the drive direction,
When the polymer gel actuator is accommodated in the first accommodation state, the valve element closes the fluid passage by contraction of the polymer gel actuator when a voltage is applied, and becomes a normally open type valve device.
When the polymer gel actuator is housed in the second housed state, the valve element becomes a normally closed valve device that opens the fluid passage by contraction of the contraction polymer gel actuator when a voltage is applied. so,
5. The valve device according to claim 1, wherein both of the normally open type and the normally closed type can be selectively adopted.