Variable pressure valve apparatus

• US 20030010949A1
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ito, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,684,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/11
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/046 by a spring other than a helicoidal spring
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52425 with a ball-shaped valve member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7878 With bias adjustment indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7906 Cam means for adjusting and fixing bias

Abstract

A valve can varied in operating pressure and stopped in opening and closing by an efficiently movable actuator due to feeding of electric power without malfunction due to disturbance of magnetism, impact or temperature. A variable pressure valve is provided with a shape memory alloy spring. The shape memory alloy spring is raised in temperature and varied in length by a secondary coil that is electromagnetically given power from a primary coil of a control probe. When the shape memory alloy spring varies in length, a feed ratchet performs linear movement to rotate a cam wheel. The cam wheel has a cam with which an urge spring and a rectifying lever at its one end is engaged. The urge spring and rectifying lever at their other ends engage a ball valve to vary an urge force on the ball valve due to rotation of the cam wheel.

Claims

1. A variable pressure valve apparatus comprising:

a control probe having an electric power supplying means to supply an electric power by an electromagnetic way; and

a variable pressure valve separated from said control probe and having an electric power providing means to provide in an electromagnetic way the electricity supplied from said control probe and a pressure varying means to vary a pressure of a valve.

2. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric power supplying means of aid control probe and said electric power providing means of said variable pressure valve comprise at least a pair of electromagnetic coils.

3. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure applying means of said variable pressure valve is an actuator using a shape memory alloy.

4. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure applying means of said variable pressure valve is an actuator using a piezoelectric element.

5. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said variable pressure valve has regulating means to stop opening and closing of said valve.

6. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least part of said electric power providing means of said variable pressure valve and said pressure varying means has isolating means to isolate from a fluid passing said variable pressure valve.

7. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control probe has detecting means to detect an efficiency of electric power feed between said electric power supplying means and said electric power providing means of said variable pressure valve.

8. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said shape memory alloy of said actuator using said shape memory alloy has an operating temperature higher than a solidifying point of a fluid passing said variable pressure valve but lower than a boiling point thereof.

9. A variable pressure valve apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said actuator using said shape memory alloy has at least one thermoelectric element.